Mixture makes all in maiden
Serious Mixture (5/1), a towering son of Fair Mix, was bounced out in front by Derek O’Connor on this new right-handed track. The recent Cregg third gave an exhibition of fencing at the head of affairs and the British-bred was clearly travelling best from before the penultimate of the 15 obstacles. At the post, Serious Mixture had five lengths to spare over the eyecatching Bravehearted Harry.
“This is a very backward horse that we bought as a three-year-old and you won’t see the best of him for another year. He will probably now go to the Brightwells sale at Cheltenham later this month,” reported Doyle of his wife Mary’s Serious Mixture.
Jim Dreaper has a nice long-term prospect on his hands in the five-year-old Goonyella (5/1), running in the familiar Sizing Europe colours of Alan Potts, who landed a vintage renewal of the winners of two in the hands of talented 5lb claimer. The Presenting-sired Goonyella made smooth progress from before the second last, but it was only inside the final 50 yards that he mastered the valiant Wiseoverbury by a neck.
“This horse is a nice big staying type and we will probably go the hunter chase route with him now,” divulged Dreaper.
Nedzer’s Return is a teak-tough customer for Gordon Elliot’s charge recorded his third success of the campaign in the open lightweight. Nedzer’s Return (2/1) made practically all under Elliot’s fiancée Annie Bowles and, whilst challenged by last season’s champion mare The Blarney Rose at the second last, the winning ten-year-old readily fought off Eugene O’Sullivan’s charge on the flat to score by one-length with a five-length gap to the third-placed Tyrone Golden Rain.
Niall Kelly, the regular partner of Michael Winters’ outstanding mare Missunited when she was running in bumpers last season, teamed up with Co Kildare owner/trainer Louis Hill to collect the first instalment of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden with Night Sir (10/1).
The victory however was attained in most unfortunate circumstances for Eoin Doyle’s odds-on shot Dream Choice, runner-up to subsequent Cheltenham festival winner Brindisi Breeze at Loughrea last autumn, was well and truly in command when cruelly sustaining a fatal injury on the run to the final fence.
Shingle Bay (evens), runner-up on his previous two starts this term at Rathcannon and Tinahely, came to the rescue of favourite backers by landing the second split of this same contest in the hands of Jamie Codd. The John Berry-owned/trained Shingle Bay however had to be kept right up to his work in the closing stages to contain recent Cregg third Bang On Time by three parts of a length.
Cregg form also proved crucial in the five-year-old mares’ maiden for Ger Corrigan’s Oscar Amy (3/1), who finished second to Tell Me Lucy at the Carrick-On-Suir venue on October 21st, benefited from a strong drive from Barry O’Neill to oblige in this 15-runner contest.
Charming Ways seemed sure to succeed when easing to the front before two out. She was though none too clever here as Oscar Amy stormed ahead after this penultimate obstacle and, having thrown a spectacular leap at the final fence, the winning daughter of Oscar was always well on top in the closing stages.
Elmbridge Squire (6/1), trained by John Martin Walsh outside Duncormack, stepped up from his most-recent third-placed effort at Tinahely by leading from after three out with five lb claimer Garry Murphy to beat market leader See It As It Is in the second part of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
It was a red-letter occasion for 18-year-old David Cogley from Ballintubber outside New Ross as the teenager partnered his initial career winner aboard the Seamus Larkin-trained ex-track campaigner Artic King (5/1) in the first division of the closing seven and eight-year-old novice riders’ maiden.
David Joseph O’Leary, who started off by winning two points on Rule Supreme for Michael Winters in 2010, produced Brian Mortell’s recent Glenbane runner-up Golden Moments (5/2) from well off the pace to deny Lee Roy Brown in the second part of this same contest.
