Towering For Carmel turns in a mesmerising debut performance

Mesmerising. That’s really the only way that one could justifiably describe the performance of the Michael Winters-trained For Carmel at yesterday’s well-attended Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point fixture on Jack Murphy’s farm at Aghabullogue as the towering bay hardly broke sweat on his initial career outing in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On an afternoon that saw all six favourites getting beaten, For Carmel (7/2) was always positioned at the front of the eight-runner field and his jumping was virtually faultless in front.

The winning son of Mr Dinos, a half-brother to his handler’s former outstanding racemare For Bill that actually won her maiden at this same meeting in 2009, set sail for home on the approach to the penultimate of the 16 obstacles and he had the race in safekeeping before the final fence. For Carmel then stormed clear to account for recent Dromahane runner-up Jonniesofa by six lengths in the style of a considerably better than average sort with a two and a half length break back to the third-placed Full Cry.