Mountain Lough gives fine front-running display in Ladies Open

There was some cracking fare on offer at yesterday’s second stage of the Kinsale two-day point-to-point fixture, run under the auspices of the South Union Foxhounds at Farrangalway, and the Louis Archdeacon-trained Mountain Lough lit up the afternoon for many by making virtually all the running with first-time partner Maxine O’Sullivan in the Ladies Open.

The 12-year-old Mountain Lough (5/4) had Forjoetheplumber for company throughout and the race concerned the duo from four out as the other two runners Prince Of Milan and Pocket Reader couldn’t go with the front pair.

Mountain Lough still held a two-length advantage over Forjoetheplumber when the recent Tralee runner-up sustained a crashing second-last fence fall with rider Sheila Ahern being later removed to hospital with a suspected fractured collar-bone.

Pat Collins partnered two winners and the Castlemartyr native opened his account aboard the French-bred newcomer Coco Live (5/1) in the four-year-old maiden.

Doolin made the decisive move by easing to the front after the third last of the 15 obstacles except that the Sean Thomas Doyle-trained Coco Live closed from two out. Coco Live then took the measure of Doolin on the flat to oblige by two and a half lengths and the wining son of Secret Singer is now likely to be sold.

The Ian Power-trained Strangsmill (7/4 – evens) completed the Collins brace by attaining a deserved success in the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field in ten runners.

Strangsmill, who was disqualified from first spot at Curraheen last month for taking the wrong course, led from four out and she was being challenged by Comebackgirl when Jeanette Riordan’s representative fell two out. Strangsmill then bounded clear coming to the final fence to dismiss Cloud Of Gold by six lengths in the colours of Smartscastle, south Kilkenny-based breeder Tom Kent.

Jimmy Mangan’s five-year-old Vinnie Lewis (2/1 – 6/4) was most impressive with Johnny Hurley in the winners of two, much to the dismay of the 14 bookmakers present.

Vinnie Lewis, already placed in two point-to-point bumpers this year at Cork and Tipperary, always took the eye in running and he eased to the front clearly travelling best two out. The winning son of Vinnie Roe then scorched clear to dismiss Fortune Bound by six lengths and he will now be put away with a view to contesting an autumn bumper.

Ciaran Fennessy virtually guaranteed himself victory in the southern regional riders championship by moving onto the 24 winner mark in the region, five clear of closest pursuer Derek O’Connor, by landing the six-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard Eager To Know (5/1). The Norman Lee-trained Eager To Know, who fell when travelling well in the lead three out at Tralee the previous weekend, led from four out and he asserted from the last to deny Medal Of Freedom by one and a half lengths.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for Kinsale Arts Week (3/1), trained locally by Ruaidhri Tierney at Sandycove outside Kinsale, who destroyed the opposition with Martin Hickey in the closing seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

The nine-year-old Kinsale Arts Week, representing Tierney’s younger sister Aine, assumed command before two out and the Dromahane April runner-up then swept clear to beat favourite Fact Flow by ten lengths.

Going:Good/Yielding

O’Leary Insurance Group 4-Y-O Maiden of €1, 000. 3 Miles

1) Monbeg Syndicate’s Coco Live (FR) b g (Secret Singer – Iona Will) 11-10 Mr P D Collins

2) T Keating’s Doolin (GB) 11-5 Mr J J O’Connor

3) P M Power’s Lynx (GER) 11-10 Mr D O’Connor

8 ran. 2 1/2L, 3L, 4L. (Winner trained by Sean Thomas Doyle)

Jim Edwards Bar & Restaurant Winners Of Two of €1, 000. 3 Miles

1) Mrs M Mangan’s Vinnie Lewis b g (Vinnie Roe – Ballyann Lewis) 5-11-10 Mr J Hurley

2) J & Mrs K O’Callaghan’s Fortune Bound 7-12-1 Mr C W Fennessy

3) J P Baragry’s Carry On Asian 7-11-10 Mr S J P Baragry

5 ran. 6L, 20L. Only 3 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by James Joseph Mangan)

Zurich Life Florida Pearl 6-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden of €1, 000. 3 Miles

1) Miss S Hogan’s Eager To Know b g (Sayarshan – Drew) 12-1 Mr C W Fennessy

2) Mrs S Slattery’s Medal Of Freedom 12-1 Mr H D Dunne

3) J Devereux’s Turn The Sod 12-1 Mr J J Slevin

9 ran. 1 1/2L, 6L, 18L. (Winner trained by Norman Lee)

Johnson & Perrot Motor Group Lady Riders Open Lightweight of €1, 200. 3 Miles

1) Mrs M Archdeacon’s Mountain Lough ch g (Anshan – Marlonette) 12-11-10 Miss M O’Sullivan

2) J J F O’Mahony’s Prince Of Milan 11-11-5 Miss C V Annan

3) Miss I T Walsh’s Pocket Reader (GB) 10-11-5 Miss I T Walsh

4 ran. Dist, Dist. Only 3 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by Louis Archdeacon)

Christy Buckley Auctioneer 6-Y-O & Upwards Mares’ Maiden of €1, 000. 3 Miles

1) T Kent’s Strangsmill b m (Beneficial – Sweet Vale) 7-11-10 Mr P D Collins

2) J A Fitzgerald’s Cloud Of Gold 10-11-5 Mr J Hurley

3) P G Higgins & Ms S Donatantonio’s Trepuco Mist 7-11-5 Mr S J P Baragry

10 ran. 6L, 10L, Sh Hd. (Winner trained by Ian Andrew Power)

Standard Life 7-Y-O & Upwards Geldings’ Maiden of €1, 000. 3 Miles

1) Miss A J Tierney’s Kinsale Arts Week b g (Desert Style – Wensum Dancer) 9-12-1 Mr M D Hickey

2) J Irish’s Fact Flow 7-12-1 Mr C W Fennessy

6 ran. 10L. Only 2 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by Ruaidhri Joseph Tierney)