Duhallow (F) Kanturk at Dromahane on Sunday 12th November 2017.
The Goffs four-year-old mares’ maiden attracted the biggest field of the day in 16 runners and the Aidan Fitzgerald-trained newcomer Queens Cave destroyed the opposition by winning in a common canter to provide her handler and rider Richie Deegan with the opening leg of a two-timer.
The winning daughter of Court Cave went to the front before three out and she stormed clear on the approach to two out to beat last season’s dual runner-up Malachys Girl by 10 lengths in the increasingly familiar colours of the Cobajay Syndicate. “I have said to anyone that would listen to me over the past few weeks that this is the best mare that I have ever had, “said Fitzgerald of the Queens Cave, whom he purchased for €8, 000 at last year’s Derby sale. “She jumps and gallops and everything comes so easily to her. I’d imagine that we will send her to the Cheltenham sales next Friday. “
Vincent Halley is experiencing a stellar run with his charges at present, he has sent out Carrigready and Tintown Robin to win on the track in recent times, and the east Co Waterford-based handler continued his present purple patch courtesy of seasonal debutant Chinensis in the first division of the Goffs four-year-old geldings maiden. A son of Well Chosen that finished a more than creditable fourth on his only start last season at this same venue in May, held on by a neck to contain Southern Nights by a neck. “This horse has strengthened up a lot after a summer’s grass, “said the winning handler of Chinensis, owned in common with his recent Lisronagh maiden winner Getaway Trump, by Sarah Keane and his own father Lar Halley. “John [Barry] gave him this horse a super ride as he wound it up in front from the fourth last. He’s a horse with loads of scope that stays and stays. He will now go to the Cheltenham sales.”
Court Master provided Aidan Fitzgerald and Richie Deegan with the second leg of their two-timer by making a triumphant career debut in the second division of the Goffs four-year-old geldings maiden. Court Master readily stormed into contention along the bottom of the track after four out and he took command between the final two fences to beat Jarveys Plate by a widening seven lengths. “I’m delighted, it has been a great day, “said Fitzgerald. “I’m also delighted for Enda McDonagh for Nenagh, he has been a great supporter over the past few years and he owns a half share in this horse. This is a proper staying chaser, he is related to Amberleigh House, and we bought him at the Goffs Land Rover sale last year.”
Derek O’Connor excelled by bringing the Robert Tyner-trained newcomer Hills Of Connemara from well off the pace to land the five-year-old mares’ maiden and the Galwegian also deserves particular credit for maintaining the partnership with the victorious grey when she made a serious error at the second fence. Hills Of Connemara readily rose her effort and she quickened clear from after the final fence to dismiss Berboru by five lengths. In Tyner’s absence, his wife Mary reported: “This mare was bought as a four-year-old and she has been a late developer. “The Tikkanen-sired Hills Of Connemara, owned by the Maghtera Syndicate, is another that was quickly added to this Friday’s Tattersalls Ireland sale at Cheltenham.
17-year-old Banteer native Cal Shine, a Sixth Year student at Colaiste Treasa in Kanturk, gave Louis Archdeacon’s Hillary View a masterful waiting ride to oblige on his return to action in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Hillary View, the third winner of the afternoon by Court Cave, Hillary View moved ever closer on the inner from three out and he was just about to challenge the leader Trapper when Debbie Hartnett’s charge fell two out. Hillary View was then left in front and, although blundering at the final fence from which Shine did well to keep the partnership intact, he bravely held off Derek O’Connor’s mount Shannon Light to oblige by a length.“This horse was called after a book ‘A View From Hillary’ that the late Pat Murphy from Kanturk wrote, but Pat sadly died a year and a half ago and it’s great that his wife Eileen is here today, “related Archdeacon of his wife Michelle’s Hillary View. “Pat was previously involved in a point’s winner with us Double Dan and this horse will now probably go to the Cheltenham sales next weekend.”
A Decent Excuse is fast developing into a prolific point’s campaigner and the 10-year-old supplemented facile victories at Castletown-Geoghegan and Loughrea last month by recording a tenacious success with his owner/trainer Eugene O’Sullivan’s daughter Maxine in the Singletons SuperValu Open. A fabulous jump at the final fence proved most crucial and he ultimately fought off It Came To Pass by three parts of a length, the pair returning one and a half lengths clear of the third-placed Western Man. “This is a great result for us, “said handler O’Sullivan. “We won’t be over-racing A Decent Excuse, but the long-term plan now will be to go for the Cheltenham Foxhunters. “
TJ Nagle Junior’s Crookesmoor stepped forwards from his second-placed effort behind the clearly-useful Johnny Sue at Rathcannon three weeks earlier by justifying favouritism in the concluding contest, the five-year-old-and-upwards adjacent hunts maiden. Crookesmoor was content to shadow Lady Of Venice in second spot until joining issue from after four out. The winning British-bred edged into a narrow advantage with Chris O’Donovan before two out and he then held on gamely to beat the never-nearer Ardrahan by three parts of a length.
Videographer: IRIS
Star Performance: Queens Cave could scarcely have been more impressive on her debut as she destroyed some capable rivals with incredible ease.
