Dresden keeps Kingdom Cup at home

DRESDEN CALL, trained in Tralee by Johnny Kelliher for the Dublin-based Lixnaw native Josephine McCarthy, captured his second All-Age Cup when lifting the Kingdom Cup and the €3,500 purse at Ballybeggan Park yesterday.

Having scored Champion Stake points at Ballyduff in mid November, Dresden Call started the 3/1 long-odds favourite on Monday. He survived a stiff test to beat Toast Master (a finalist at Rathkeale) before sending home Avenue Ando (½l) to reach the quarter finals. He led by three lengths to oust the Castleisland Cup winner Cryptic Rebel while the Doon All-Age winner Apple Dreamer was his next victim.

In the final Dresden Call took control early to lead by four lengths where it mattered to collect the points at the expense of the Lixnaw-owned More Dorado View.

The Bitch All-Age Stake was won by the “unknown” Kerry Hill Lass who upset all the odds and did the long-odds layers a big favour by some very impressive performances.

She is trained in Castleisland by John O’Sullivan for the Life Style Syndicate.

The John Quilter Listowel-owned Tom Bawn, who had two previous outings, collected his Boyle Sports Derby ticket in brilliant style. Handled at this meeting by Gerry Galvin, Tom Bawn showed plenty of guts in the final against the long-odds favourite Undulating Green.

The Tom Nolan-owned Silent Carol, after four unsuccessful outings this season, secured a place in Clonmel by winning the Oaks ticket.

* MOOT POINT, winner of the Hitchin Post at Borrisoleigh, is proving a great servant for the very successful Newmarket-based racehorse trainer Sir Mark Prescott.

Trained in Tipperary Town by Michael O’Donovan, he showed no rustiness on his seasonal debut when coasting home well clear of Mrs Jingles in the final .

Prescott had numerous dogs top class dogs trained by O’Donovan, but Moot Point has been a real money spinner, earning in the region of €35,000 for his popular English owner.

After winning his Trial Stake at Cashel in 2009, the following March he went on to win the Irish Plate. Then the next season he was specially prepared for an assault on the Irish Cup and was on target until a semi-final ‘grueller’ ruled him out of taking his place in the final.