Oscar shows the right spirit in mares’ maiden
On an afternoon that saw the ground produced in pristine condition by the hard-working committee, Sweeney opened his account aboard the John Paul Brennan-trained Spirit Oscar in the fiercely-competitive four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Spirit Oscar (3/1), an excellent second on her debut at Kinsale in late-October before finishing third at Boulta two weeks ago, was bounced out in front and the daughter of Oscar gave an exhibition of fencing at the head of affairs. It was plainly apparent that the winning bay was possessing all the aces on the lengthy approach to two out and she duly returned with ten lengths to spare over She’s Real.
“I’m a seller at heart, but if I still have this filly, I will leave her off with a view to bringing her back to run on the track in the spring,” said owner/trainer Brennan from Camolin in north Co Wexford of his 2011 Fairyhouse November National Hunt sale graduate.
Sweeney similarly adapted front-running tactics aboard his remaining winner Carli King (5/2 – 2/1) in the confined hunts maiden. The Batt O’Connell-trained Carli King, a seasonal debutant that sports the silks of Tom Browne from Killeagh, asserted from before the second last to contain the previous Sunday’s Ballindenisk third Twin Plan by four lengths.
Kilworth-based owner/trainer/breeder Sean O’Brien appears to have a cracking prospect on his hands in the form of Golantilla (6/4 – evens) who impressed by recording a scintillating debut success in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Golan-sired Golantilla led or disputed the running with Irish Anthem until he was sent for his race by Ciaran Fennessy from four out. It was all plain sailing from the penultimate obstacle and, although despite erring at the final fence, Golantilla still defeated Robert Tyner’s Concordin by ten lengths. O’Brien not surprisingly suggested that Golantilla will now contest the four-year-old bumper at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day.
Pat Collins, who later travelled to Cork to win the bumper on Bells Weir, teamed up with Myles Sunderland to collect the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard Bob Ford (5/1).
A son of Vinnie Roe, the seasonal debutant Bob Ford was ridden prominently and he still appeared to hold a slender advantage over Rebel Cry when Derek O’Connor’s mount crashed out at the final fence whilst still holding every chance. It was Clontead Cross that then came through for the runner-up slot, some 12 lengths adrift of the winning own-brother to the recent hugely-impressive Boulta mares’ maiden winner Vinnieslittle Lamb.
Lanespark (6/1) caused a mild upset under his handler Mark Spillane’s talented younger brother Dinny in the winners of two. Lanespark, who impressed by obliging in the Leadington confined hunt maiden last term, was another to benefit from pacesetting tactics with the triumphant son of Dr Massini forging clear from six out to beat Sh Bam by ten lengths.
The ten bookmakers present received further cheer when Eamonn Fehily’s 8/1 shot Always Smiling landed the closing five and six-year-old mares’ maiden in the hands of Declan Queally. The five-year-old Always Smiling, a daughter of Dushyantor that’s out of a half-sister to her handler’s recent Dromahane victor Dbanks, assumed command from before two out and she duly fought off the grey Our Katie by three lengths.
* The point-to-point season resumes with the Kanturk-Duhallow fixture at Dromahane on Sunday December 30th.
