Woodford makes light of conditions

Trainer Martin Brassil seems to have a potentially-decent prospect on his hands in Woodford County who lit up the first session of the two-day Kinsale point-to-point meeting at Farrangalway on Saturday evening by winning a particularly-competitive renewal of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On a rain-drenched session that also saw Derek O’Connor bringing his hunt racing tally to a remarkable 800, Woodford County (5/2) made smooth progress off the pace from three out to take the lead approaching the final of the 15 obstacles. The runner-up Petie McSweetie was beaten when erring here as the previous Saturday’s Ballybunion second then forged clear to oblige by two lengths with a one and a half length gap to the third-placed Bashful Beauty.

“This horse still has a lot of developing to do and we will probably send him to the Doncaster sales in August, that’s provided that he’s not sold in the interim,” reported Brassil of his wife Deirdre’s British-bred.

Woodford County’s rider Jamie Codd totally dominated the fixture by partnering four winners and he signed off by combining with long-standing ally Trevor Horgan to collect the closing five and six-year-old mares’ maiden with Found It (5/1).

Owned and bred by Finbarr Walsh from Riverstick, Found It made smooth progress to lead before the final fence and she had just taken the measure of her closest pursuer Me And Ben when Larry Murphy’s crashed out here. The recent Dromahane fourth Found It could now try her hand over hurdles.

The Co Wexford amateur earlier joined forces with Liam Kenny to collect the mares’ open with Nearly A Dream (6/1), one of three winners on the evening to run with the aid of cheekpieces.

James Dullea’s Rotorua jumped into the lead at the third last and she seemed set to score until Nearly A Dream, owned and bred by Larry Doyle, closed menacingly approaching the last and she stormed to the front under 50 yards out to triumph by a head in what was the closest finish of the day.

Codd instigated his four-timer aboard the Paul Patrick Moloney-trained Zatopec (3/1), sporting the familiar Whyso Mayo colours of Mrs Kathleen O’Driscoll, in the confined hunts maiden.

The seven-year-old Zatopec, who came from well off the pace when finishing fourth to Walter Blue in Inchydoney the previous Sunday, edged ever closer from three out and he had just taken the measure of long-time leader Third Degree when Finbarr Lordan’s representative cruelly capsized at the final fence.