Progressive Oscar Delta continues on upward curve
The concluding leg of a double for Damian Murphy, the patiently ridden Ocar Delta (9/2) made smooth progress on the inner from three out to hit the front at penultimate of the 13 obstacles. Seasonal debutant A Certain Gent challenged with every chance at the last only for Oscar Delta to assert inside the final couple of strides to dismiss Brian Hassett’s charge by a head in the colours of senior counsel Karen O’Driscoll. The winner’s stable companion Lizzie Fennell returned a further eight lengths adrift in third spot.
“He will probably now go to the track for a maiden hurdle,” disclosed Miss O’Sullivan, a former honorary secretary of this meeting, who now trains 18 horses outside Liscarroll.
Last season’s champion veteran rider Murphy initiated his two-timer aboard Jimmy Mangan’s Ballymac Beauty (5/1) in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden, an event that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 17 starters.
Ballymac Beauty, owned by Eileen Hodnett from Ballymacoda, stormed past recent Carrigtwohill third Bendare Dundat in the shadow of the post to oblige by a neck.
Bendare Dundat’s trainer Philip Goulding however earlier experienced better fortune courtesy of Captain Knock (4/1) in the second division of the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Captain Knock overtook the pacesetting Oxer before the third last and whilst appearing to come under pressure on the climb from two out, Richie Rohan’s mount still easily withstood the late effort of favourite Witness Hill by two lengths. Captain Knock, who finished a fine fourth at Lingstown in November, is shared by Ballymacoda-based Ger Finn with Pat Fitzgerald from Inch. For good measure, the Busy Flight-sired Captain Knock was also bred by Fitzgerald’s teenage son Michael.
Eamonn Fehily Dbanks (2/1) atoned for a disappointing effort at Dungarvan in late-January by landing the first part of this same contest in the hands of Declan Queally. Dbanks, a horse that connections reckon is patently better on a fast surface, assumed command on the ascent from two out to repel Flashing Fifty by six lengths in the colours of the Dun Drinan Syndicate.
The Kevin O’Sullivan-trained Bring Me Back justified strong market support in the opening two and a half mile four-year-old maiden. Backed from 2/1 into evens favourite, Bring Me Back made amends for falling two out on his debut at Tallow three weeks earlier by bravely outpointing Novedevichy by two and a half lengths with the in-form Mikey O’Connor.
John Berry’s Parnell Street (6/1) vindicated the promise of his most recent seventh-placed Carrigtwohill effort by landing the five-year-old geldings’ maiden under Mark Scallan. Parnell Street, a son of Great Palm that represents the absent Berry’s wife Anna, overtook long-time leader Annacarton at the final fence to eclipse Patrick Mangan’s mount by five lengths.
Locally-based Upton handler Ted Stanners, who was at one time training for George Ward in Britain, sent out the lightly-raced Premier Buck (9/2) to win the adjacent hunts maiden. Partnered by Conna amateur Dinny Spillane, Premier Buck made all with the sweet-jumping seven-year-old powering clear from two out to beat market-leader Flaming Sambuca by eight lengths.
