Meade bounces back with Roscommon treble
Meade, who was in Paris over the weekend, described Attercliffe as his “best three-year-old” after the gelded son of Alhaarth made a successful debut in the Sliab Bawn Racing Club Maiden.
A third winner on the level for Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden, the Barouche Stud’s home-bred readily outpointed October Sky and Settigano before drawing high praise from his trainer.
“I’m not surprised. He’s probably our best three-year-old. He’s a fine big horse and I wasn’t sure how well he’d handle the track. I would have fancied him more at Leopardstown or the Curragh.”
Meade added: “He’s a very well-bred horse. His dam is a half-sister to the French Derby winner Darsi and we’ll look for another flat race for him before the end of the season. He’d make a lovely hurdler, but I’ll have to discuss longer term plans with his owners.”
Ballyagran made a successful start to his chasing career at Listowel recently and followed-up when justifying favouritism, at the expense of market rival Some Timbering, in the featured Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase.
“He lost the plot over hurdles last year,” explained Meade. “But he has taken well to fences and did his job well today. He jumped really well, with the exception of the last. And I’ll have to find another similar ‘novice’ for him now.”
Meade’s treble was completed when even-money favourite Hotel Hilamar, fourth at the Punchestown Festival in his only previous start, coasted to a very easy victory under Nina Carberry in the bumper. A son of Flemensfirth, he looks an exciting prospect.
Fresh from their Longchamp heroics with Finsceal Beo, Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning were on the mark when Goffs Fillies Fice Hundred sixth Anna’s Rock landed the two-year-old fillies maiden in good style from Dermot Weld’s debutante Common Charisma.
Yario, returning to action after a three-month break and backed down to 4/6 favouritism, gave champion jockey-elect Declan McDonogh his 81st domestic winner in the Lecarrow 2-Y-0 Maiden.
McDonogh brought Lady O’Reilly’s Danehill Dancer colt wide for better ground in the straight before seeing off Hill Of Holly and Alexander Of Hales. A step into listed or Group 3 class is now on the cards for the Kevin Prendergast-trained Yario.
County Kilkenny trainer Michael Fitzgerald certainly enjoys his trips to Roscommon and recorded his third win at the track, and the sixth of his career, when Star Wood turned over hot favourite Total Victory in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.
Having made the running, Star Wood was headed briefly by the favourite inside the final furlong but battled back to triumph by a head. He then survived a Stewards Enquiry, although winning rider Shane Gorey was cautioned for careless riding.
