Golden Rain lights up season opener
Partnered by Derek O’Connor for his brother Paurick, Tyrone Golden Rain (evens) was patiently ridden as Glantara cut out the running. The eventual winner, runner-up in this same race two years ago, eased into pole position at the penultimate of the 12 obstacles and he duly asserted to beat Cathy Harrison’s mare Hang On Groovy by an unchallenged eight lengths on an afternoon that incidentally saw all seven winners arriving from off the pace.
“This horse wasn’t quite right last year and he will be a grand fun horse for this season,” said owner/handler Paurick O’Connor of Tyrone Golden Rain, who was recording his tenth points success.
The O’Connor siblings actually departed with two winners for they also combined to collect the winners of two with Olor (3/1). The five-year-old Olor, who shed his maiden tag in the Quakerstown confined hunt maiden back in April, made smooth progress from the second last to dismiss Thetalkinsover (who also finished second in this same race last year) by one and a half lengths in the silks of the Three Dudes Syndicate from Co Clare.
Jamie Codd was also in double form and the Drinagh amateur got off the mark aboard Denis Murphy’s The Skyfarmer (6/1 – 3/1)in the opening four-year-old maiden.
A British-bred by Presenting, The Skyfarmer showed the benefit of three runs last term for he stylishly made his way into contention from two out to lead on the inner at the last en-route to accounting for Guido D’Arezzo by three lengths. Murphy incidentally believes that his 2011 Fairyhouse August sale graduate will develop into a nice prospect this season.
Codd brought up his two-timer aboard Mark Quigley’s ex-track performer Kitts Delight (2/1) in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Kitts Delight, a creditable sixth off a mark of 84 on her penultimate track foray in a two-mile Gowran Park handicap hurdle in June, took up the running travelling well after the second last and she stayed on tenaciously to defeat Tell Me Lucy by two lengths. Dawn Flyer, who led until making a horrendous blunder three out, appeared beaten in third spot when falling at the final fence in this seven-runner contest.
Competition seemed particularly intense in the first division of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden and the Kevin O’Sullivan-trained A Hill To Climb (5/1), the most experienced horse in the 13-runner field, just came out on top in a desperately close finish under Mikey O’Connor. A Hill To Climb, placed on five out of his previous nine starts in points, just kept pulling out more on the flat to deny Shingle Bay by a head with a three-length gap to the hugely-promising Prince Of Ivagh in third spot.
Paul Cashman’s Abbey Storm (6/4 – 5/4) benefited from a patient ride from Larry Murphy to capture the second split of this same contest. The well-supported Abbey Storm, a close relation to Back in Front, readily made his way to the head of affairs at the final fence and he quickened clear on the flat to dispose of Whispering Boy by four lengths in the colours of his trainer’s sister Niamh Woods.
Plettenburg Bay (4/1) made light of an 18-month lay-off under Pat Collins in the seven-year-old and upwards maiden and Pat Crowley’s . Paddycards still marginally held the call when unseating his rider at the final fence here and Zelkova Island, one of three greys in the race, was then left in the lead. Barry O’Neill’s mount however had no reply when Plettenburg Bay, an excellent third to subsequent British hurdle winner Abnaki at Nenagh in January 2011, swept past inside the final 25 yards to score by a half-length.
