Emerging talent O’Connell seen to good effect on Vic Venturi
Former point-to-point winner Vic Venturi raced prominently before getting to the front before the second last flight, keeping on well to hold the late challenge of Mister Top Notch by three lengths.
O’Connell, from Boher in Limerick, is the son of former jockey and now Senior Inspector of Courses Val O’Connell.
Fenton, himself formerly a brilliant amateur, later praised the jockey, commenting “He is a lovely rider and didn’t look out of place against the professionals there.”
He added “It is hard to know where to go next with Vic Venturi, but he is a real staying chaser in the making.”
The opening Newcastle West GAA Maiden Hurdle went to Kieran Purcell’s Cogans Lake.
At the last, the winner was narrowly in front of Night Bridge but his main danger blundered and unseated his rider, leaving the winning son of Even Top to score by eight lengths.
Purcell, who won two All Ireland hurling medals with Kilkenny in the 1970s, later commented: “Cogans Lake is a lovely horse who will go for a winners’ hurdle at Thurles early in the new year. He is only one of five horses I train and only cost €2,500 as a yearling.”
The win was the 55th for 21-year-old jockey John Allen, meaning the rider has now lost his claim.
Another rider in a hurry to get through his claim is Brian Byrnes who made it winner number 17 on board Seamus Braddish’s Nine O in the Woodlands House Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
The winner was completing a hat-trick of handicap hurdle wins and Braddish, a property developer from Askeaton, later commented: “Nine O is one of only four horses I train and they are really only a hobby for me; he’ll go for another handicap again in the next few weeks.”
Davy Fitzgerald’s Prince Roscoe made good use of a chase mark 34lbs below his hurdle rating when running out the six length winner of the Shane Mangan Agricontractor Handicap Chase, despite getting it badly wrong at the final fence.
Prince Roscoe was ridden by amateur Mike O’Connor, riding at a very low 9st13lbs, while Fitzgerald later commented: “The win came as a bit of a surprise as he is better on better ground; he’ll go for another handicap next.”
Jockey John Cullen was seen to good effect when riding a double, winning an incident packed EBF Tattersalls Mares Beginners Chase on Greenhall Rambler who benefited from the final fence fall of Sunami Storm.
Cullen earlier landed the Bushmills Maiden Hurdle on The Bulb for trainer Denis Ahern.
Jockey Nina Carberry’s strength was a big help to Noel Meade’s Cavallo Classico, winner of the concluding Dunraven Arms Hotel Ladies Flat Race, giving the Co Meath trainer an across-the-card double, following Rosaker’s win at Leopardstown.
