Golden Crisp bounces back

Handler Padraig Higgins has experienced a hugely-rewarding point-to-point season and the Ballynoe-based handler recorded his eighth success of the campaign by sending out Golden Crisp to record a hugely-popular victory in the winners of two at yesterday’s well-attended second stage of the two-day South Union Foxhounds fixture at Farrangalway outside Kinsale.

Golden Crisp (11/4), winner of the open at Ballynoe on March 17th, bounced back from pulling up in the Cork maiden hunters chase on Easter Monday by storming into the lead with the capable Larry Murphy with two fences remaining. There was only going to be one outcome from here as the victorious eight-year-old asserted to dispose of Treo Eile by two lengths in the colours of the five-member The Pot Of Gold Syndicate.

“We will give him a break now and bring him back again next season to go pointing and hunter chasing,” said Higgins of Golden Crisp.

Brian Linehan partnered his seventh winner of the season by joining forces with Kilworth-based owner/trainer/breeder Paddy Moakley to collect the closing seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden with Glen Roe (5/1), who hails from the same family as Belvederian. Glen Roe, an excellent third on his previous start behind Arnima at Bartlemy two weeks earlier, swept into the lead on the flat and he asserted as the line approached to beat Bailito Bay by a length in the style of a clearly-progressive sort.

Yet another owner/trainer/breeder was on the mark and that was former amateur rider Jerry Baragry who sent out Carry On Asian (10/1) to spring a major surprise, much to the delight of the 18 bookmakers present, in the six-year-old geldings’ maiden. Carry On Asian, absent since pulling up at Ballyvodock on February 1st, made all the running and he drew clear with Eoin O’Brien from the second last of the 15 obstacles to slam Liscarroll runner-up Fortune Bound by six lengths. Carry On Asian will now be partnered by Castlelyons-based Baragry’s 16-year-old son Shane in a bumper in the next few weeks.

The layers had further cause for cheer as Sean Aherne’s Forjoetheplumber sprung a 16/1 upset with his owner Sheila Ahern from Ballyduff Upper in the ladies open, the best betting race incidentally of the entire weekend. Forjoetheplumber, the rank outsider of the five runners, stormed back to the front on the ascent from three out and the triumphant 11-year-old was always possessing too many aces for runner-up Mountain Lough thereafter with one and a half lengths the ultimate winning margin. Forjoetheplumber will now be left off with an autumn campaign in mind.

Owner/trainer Tom Keating’s newcomer Behind The Wire (5/2), a son of Mahler, made virtually all the running with ‘Corky’ Carroll in the opening four-year-old maiden. Behind The Wire was challenged by favourite Handsome Sam coming to the last, but the eventual winner dug deep on the flat to account for Shane Fitzgerald’s mount by a half-length in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

The grey Tobar Liath (6/1), one of just three horses that Marc Costello tends to outside Gorey, vindicated the promise of her commendable third-placed effort behind Duplicate Daughter at Stradbally last month by leading from the final fence to credit rider JJ Slevin with his ninth success of the season in the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. Tobar Liath, representing vet Peggy Murphy, may now run on the track for the summer.