It’sallabouteve makes winning start to life over obstacles at Limerick

EVASIVE ACTION: Secret Sea and Donie McInerney (right) get the better of Global Mayhem (purple silks) to win the Fexco Asset Finance Handicap Hurdle having avoided final-flight faller Lyla Garrity and jockey Gavin Brouder. Horse and jockey were OK after the incident. Picture: Healy Racing

The John Joe Walsh-trained It’sallabouteve confirmed the promise of last season’s bumper outings when making a winning debut over obstacles in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle on Tuesday’s eight-race card in Limerick.

Impressive winner of a bumper on debut at the Christmas meeting here last year, Elizabeth Stack’s mare ran well in two subsequent bumpers but was coming here off the back of a near-eight-month absence.

Ambrose McCurtin gave her time to find her rhythm and she moved up going well in the straight before quickening up to collar outsider Churchtown Ruby in the closing stages.

“She is back to where she collected here last Christmas and has developed into a grand mare now,” said the winning trainer. “Starting off today I thought the ground was a bit good for her because she won here on very testing conditions last year. We might go for a winners’ race now, but we’ll have to think about it. She is very promising, and everything comes naturally to her.”

Paddys Planet, ridden by Barry Browne, justified being a shade of odds-on in the LimerickRaces.ie Maiden Hurdle. Having his second run for Ross O’Sullivan, he was handy all the way but had to dig deep to see off the challenge of Eternal Story.

“His owner, Richard Murphy, is from England and it’s his first horse,” said O’Sullivan. “He bought him during the summer, off Colin Motherway, on the recommendation of Jamie Codd after he won his point to point in Tipperary. He had a run in Galway the first day and probably needed it, and this was the ideal race.”

Elite Des Mottes has held her form tremendously well all season and notched an overdue second success with a nice performance in the Croom Mares’ Handicap Hurdle. She looked booked for third place as That’s Lifebuoy and Powerful Out went on early in the straight, but Gary Noonan had matters in hand and when he asked her to quicken up at the back of the last, the response was quite impressive.

“She is a lovely mare, but she was very childish to race,” said winning trainer Eoin McCarthy. “Now the penny has dropped she is running consistently and is a big scopey mare who should be nice jumping fences next season.

“Gary said he got squeezed turning in but, if anything, it might have helped him as she was able to fill up her lungs again and come with her run. She is on the go a long time and we’ll freshen her up now.”

Lake Chad, trained by Philip Fenton, began making up for lost time by taking the first division of the Fexco Asset
Finance Handicap Hurdle.

Off for more than two years prior to his third-placing in a Clonmel race which has worked out well, he was dropped out by Mikey Hamill but jumped his way through the field and, under a very confident ride, won with a considerable amount in hand.

“It was a nice performance,” said Fenton. “Over the first three hurdles he was making ground. He jumps particularly well, and he hasn’t an awful lot of it done, but he’s pretty natural. Two miles is his trip, as he seems to have a bit of pace.

“I was pleased with his first run (at Clonmel, after a long lay-off). He had a leg, and that’s why he didn’t appear. He’s declared for Thurles on Thursday, and I’m sure if he’s alright he’ll pull out on Thursday.”

The second division was won just as emphatically by the Eoin Doyle-trained Secret Sea.

Dropped out early, the further they went the better Donie McInerney’s mount travelled, and she looked to have the ones in front covered when Lyla Garrity crashed out at the last.

“We went pretty hard early, and I wanted to be just behind the leaders but ended up a bit far back,” said McInerney. “She jumped and travelled well and when I pulled her out, she took off from underneath me and I slotted in behind the leaders until the last.

“She is tricky enough and was a bit odd at the start, but once you keep her moving and take your legs out of the irons, she is fine.”

Following a good effort in defeat at Fairyhouse, Galypso Clermont got his turn in the Patrickswell Opportunity Handicap Hurdle. Paul Nolan’s runner, ridden by Richie Deegan, led after the last flight and won going away.

Robyndeglory had been a “nearly mare” for some time, but after her much-deserved breakthrough in Killarney, she followed up with a game performance in the Bruff Handicap Hurdle. Declan Queally was aboard the six-year-old and, in a well-contested finish, she found plenty to see off The Higher Road and Nicole’s Milan.

“That was great,” said Queally. “Her form in maiden hurdles was very good and to be fair to the handicapper, he held her at 102 when she was just always knocking at the door. She’s been called a lot of names by lads backing her at short prices, but the visor has changed her.

“And this is great for Neil O’Mahony (winning owner) because he’s my main supporter. He’d have four or five in the yard the whole time.”

The Pádraig Roche-trained Something Abouther made a successful bumper debut in the finale, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Ladies’ Bumper. She ran in two maiden hurdles at the end of last season, and certainly took a nice step forward from the first to the second.

Off for almost a year, she appears to have taken another significant step in the right direction. Maxine O’Sullivan delivered her with a well-timed run to collar the long-time leader, She Is Electric, in the closing stages.