Miss Palm gives superb exhibition of jumping to take Gain Mares Final

The Gain Mares’ Final as always occupied centre stage at yesterday’s well-attended Ballynoe point-to-point fixture and, on an afternoon that saw pristine ground conditions thanks to the track having been spiked and watered in the week preceding the meeting, the featured event was won by Daryl Deacon’s Co Wexford challenger Miss Palm.

A comprehensive winner of a Dungarvan mares’ maiden on her return to points duty at Dungarvan in late-January, the grey Miss Palm (11/4) gave an exhibition of fencing in front with her talented 21-year-old partner Michael Roche.

The victorious eight-year-old made all the running, and it was plainly apparent from two out that she was containing the patiently ridden runner-up Carrig’N May with six lengths duly separating the pair. Vickys Lass secured the minor honours, a further four lengths adrift.

“It’s an honour to win this race and this mare really likes good ground. We could go for a hunters chase with her now,” said trainer Deacon of Miss Palm, owned by his father Willie from Clonroche. Miss Palm was bred by rider Roche’s late mother Bridget.

The Jimmy Mangan-trained Rudi Trucker (evens) recorded his third success at this right-handed venue by winning the open in the hands of regular partner Damian Murphy.

Rudi Trucker eased to the front after the fourth last of the 14 obstacles and he bravely maintained the momentum in the closing stages to thwart stable-companion Annacarton by three lengths and by doing so, he was posting a twelfth career victory (nine points and three hunter chases).

According to Batt O’Connell, a member of The Winners Enclosure Syndicate that own Rudi Trucker, the 10-year-old is now likely to contest the champion hunters chase at the Punchestown festival later this month.

Liam Burke’s Benvolio (10/1) atoned for pulling up four out on his debut at Bandon in late-February by winning the competitive five-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Richie Harding.

Benvolio, owned by Robert Blackburn from Britain, was always positioned towards the head of affairs and Richie Harding’s mount was in no mood to be denied on the flat as he fought off the eyecatching runner-up Timeshard by a half-length. Benvolio, a graduate of the last year’s Derby sale that’s a half-brother to Charlie Swan’s Grade 3 Chase winner On The Other Head, will now be offered at some of the sales that take place later this month.

The Denis Ahern-trained King Tanner (4/1), a fine fourth at Milltown in November, gamely made all the running in the confined hunt maiden.

A sixth fence faller at Liscarroll the previous Sunday, King Tanner overcame a few mistakes in the initial stages of the race by gamely pulling clear from before the second last with the in-form Declan Queally to slam An Tadh Dearg by five lengths in the colours of Ahern’s brother Michael.

James Cregan’s Porto Prince (8/1), a first winner as an owner for Barry Shanahan from Adare, caused a mild upset with Eoin O’Brien in the six and seven-year-old geldings’ maiden. Porto Prince, runner-up in a Ballysteen confined hunt maiden last season, went to the head of affairs before the third last to beat favourite Wiseoverbury and the winning son of Court Cave will now be consigned at Doncaster’s Spring sale in late-May.

The closest finish of the day came in the concluding five, six and seven-year-old mares’ maiden with the judge coming down in favour of Go Deimhin (14/1), trained by Matt Collins and partnered by his son Pat. Go Deimhin, who made a pleasing career debut at Leadington in January, duly fought off another grey in the form of Sean Aherne’s Expectant by a half-length with a 12-length break to the third-placed Rua Nua. The elder Collins, who trains a small string outside Castlemartyr, is the long-standing clerk of scales at this same fixture and Go Deimhin represents his brother-in-law Noel O’Brien from Kilkenny.