My Best Valentine wins again
There was a fabulous atmosphere at Sunday’s Kilworth and Araglen Harriers Point-to-Point meeting at Knockanohill on the outskirts of Kilworth village and Tallow handler, Garry Aherne appears to have a smart prospect on his hands in the form of My Best Valentine (4/1), who recorded a third suc
cess of the campaign with regular partner Stefan Tobin in a truly-run renewal of the Village Inn Winners of Three.
My Best Valentine, owned by Dan O’Brien from Tallow, supplemented her victories at Ballindenisk and Cragmore in January, by leading from the fifth of the 15 fences. The victorious daughter of Malinas gave a superb display of fencing at the head of affairs and she was clearly containing runner-up Saffron Hill before the last. To her credit, the victorious six-year-old readily rose her effort on the run-in to oblige by two lengths in the style of a mare that seems to hold realistic racecourse pretentions. 28-year-old Tobin, also a Tallow native, presently rides out with both Sean Aherne and Pat O’Connor.
James Hannon, whilst presently out of action from race riding on account of sustaining a neck injury in a fall before Christmas, was credited with an initial official success as a handler, courtesy of the James Murphy-ridden Bigbraveboy (4/5) in the closing Aherne’s Bar, Butchers Bar and Cotter’s Bar Five-Year-Old and Upwards Adjacent Hunts Maiden.
The six-year-old Bigbraveboy, having fallen when leading at the final fence on his previous start in the Knockanard contest, ultimately won by Worth The Walk on February 18th, gave a faultless display of fencing in front and he was challenged by runner-up, Holokea from two out. However, the latter couldn’t raise his effort from before the last as the winning son of Soldier Of Fortune stretched clear to triumph by seven lengths.
Hannon, who was congratulated by numerous well-wishers, indicated that the Ray Fitzgerald-owned Bigbraveboy may now contest a hunters chase.
Owner/trainer Eugene O’Sullivan’s Famous Liss (4/1) went one better than he did on his previous start at Kildorrery last month by landing the McCarthy Insurance Group, J Lenihan Transport and Swallow Inn Bar Six-Year-Old and Upwards Geldings’ Maiden in the hands of talented five pounds claimer, Cal Shine.
The six-year- old Famous Liss was another to benefit from frontrunning tactics and the sweet-jumping bay had his task simplified when two of his closest pursuers, Bog Cross and Our Story, departed at the fourth-last. The victorious son of Famous Name asserted from two out and he was left to come alone when his closest pursuer Keeptheoldmanout, who was well adrift in second spot, was pulled up before the last. It’s likely that Famous Liss, whom O’Sullivan acquired at the 2022 Goffs UK August sale in Doncaster, could now contest either the pointers bumper or the maiden hunters chase at Cork on Easter Monday, April 1st.
The aforementioned O’Sullivan’s nephew, Alan O’Sullivan continued his upward trajectory by combining with Knockacool-based handler Michael Griffin to capture the Tattersalls NH, Dairygold and KDC Builders Five-Year-Old Geldings’ Maiden with newcomer Gamblergo (5/2 – 7/4), much to the dismay of the 11 bookmakers present.
A son of Notnowcato that represents his trainer’s wife, Kay Griffin, the patiently-ridden Gamblergo overcame a second-last fence error by coming through to overtake long-time leader Duce Bigalow as the line approached, to score by a head. Duce Bungalow however didn’t altogether receive a rub of the green as his partner, Frankie Murphy’s leather broke at the second-last, with the Skibbereen teenager then having to ride the remainder of the race without irons aboard the Harley Dunne-trained bay.
Gamblergo, handler Griffin’s fourth individual winner of the season, is now likely to be sold.
Billy Coonan, a 20-year-old that hails from Maynooth and who won last year’s amateur Riders Derby at Epsom aboard Tony Martin’s Belgoprince, recorded an initial points success aboard the Ellmarie Holden-trained Shantou Princess (3/1) in the GAIN Equine Nutrition Radley Engineering and Condon Builders FiveYear-Old and Upwards Mares’ Maiden.
The recent Lisronagh runner-up, Shantou Princess, whilst having to be pushed along after five out, edged ever closer before the second-last and she stormed to the fore approaching the last to beat local Kilworth-based handler Stevie O’Donoghue’s Araglen Star by a widening seven lengths in the colours of Miss Holden’s mother, Catherine.
Racegoers were treated to a particularly gripping finish in the opening Goffs Aintree Sale FourYear-Old Maiden as Sean Doyle’s Parish Quiz (6/4), who finished an excellent third on his only previous start in a two and a half mile Punchestown maiden point-to-point last month, got the better of newcomer Person Of Interest inside the final 50 yards to oblige by a head, under Jamie Scallan.
The Snow Sky-sired Parish Quiz, representing the Monbeg Partnership, was incidentally acquired for €10,000 at last year’s Fairyhouse May sale. For winning this race, the connections of Parish Quiz most generously received a free nomination to the stallion Racinger that stands at Donal White’s Foxwood Stud outside Castlelyons.