Report | Moira 2nd Dec 17

The successful partnership of Jamie Codd and Denis Murphy continued when another promising debutante, Beyondthestorm won on his debut in the Dennison Commercials four-year-old maiden.

The €24,000 Goffs Land Rover sales purchase who is a half-brother to dual winner Kimora was prominent throughout where he progressed to lead from the penultimate obstacle and when challenged at the last by Presented Well he battled gamely to win on the line by a neck.

Tom Cloke representing Denis Murphy reported after the race “He was schooled around Killinick after racing and did a great piece of work.  We really fancied him coming here.  He jumps great and stays all day.  He really went well in the soft ground and he will head to the sales now”.

Codd was denied a double on the day when the father-and-son combination of Sean and Noel McParlan sent out their first winner of the season with Lagan Island doing the honours in the Alexander Mills Winner of One.

A winner of his maiden at Loughanmore over Easter for Daniel Fitzsimmons, the six-year-old who was carrying the colours of PJ McCartan, was waited with in rear for much of the race before making good progress on the final mile where he took up the lead from the penultimate fence. Quickening clear from before the last, the son of Trans Island ran out the 12 lengths winner over Benarty Hill.

“He did that well today.  He’s a lovely big horse and if not sold he will keep to points in the near future”, commented Sean McParlan.

The progressive Burning Ambition continued his winning ways when winning his fourth race on the bounce when taking the John McGovern Open. An easy winner at Loughbrickland last time out, the Scorpion gelding travelled strongly throughout under Rob James and took up the lead before the final fence where he soon pulled clear to win by eight lengths over Sambremont for owner Alexandria Gardner.

A delighted winning handler, Pierce Power commented after the race, “I’d like to thank my father Ted, David Murray and Shane Murphy because without their support I wouldn’t be doing this.  That was very impressive again and he keeps improving with each race.  He will go to the maiden hunter chase at Limerick over Christmas next”.

It was a red-letter day for Daire McConville when He Knows My Name supplied him with his first point-to-point success. Returning from a spell on the track, the Marshall Watson-trained mare had finished second to Holycross Lito at Kirkistown in March and was given a waiting ride throughout before taking up the lead at the second last fence where the daughter of Kayf Tara won by six lenghts over Alice’s Star.

“She looked a different class there and did it easily.  She was working well and we thought she would run a big race.  It was great to provide Daire with his first winner.  She will return to the track now”, commented her winning handler Watson.

The Northern Excavators Ltd five-and-six-year-old mares’ maiden went the way of Good Auld Times for her owner/breeder Patrick Joseph O'Hara.

Providing her Bunclody-based handler Ivan Walker with his first winner of the season, the daughter of Olden Times was always prominent under Mark Scallan and took up the lead before the final fence to see off the challenge of Ilsnepasserontpas by half a length.

“She’s a nice mare and has only come to herself this year.  She ran well at Ballyvodock but was still a bit weak and strengthened up over the summer.  She is a fine big scopey mare and we fancied her here today.  She’s for sale now but if not sold she will go for a winners’ race” stated Walker who’s previous point-to-point winner came from Three Swallowsnick, a two-time bumper winner for Gordon Elliot.

The Colin McKeever-trained Ballymillen was a rather fortunate winner of the Wilson Auctions five-year-old geldings’ maiden as Cosmic Flight looked like the likely winner only for coming to grief at the final fence.

Fourth at Kirkistown two weeks previous, the Wilson Dennison-owned gelding tracked the leader approaching the final fence and ran out a 12 length success under Derek O’Connor with Outside The Ring back in second.

“Jumping is the name of the game and you need a bit of luck.  He injured himself behind Finians Oscar at Portrush last year and it took him a while to come back from that.  He had a nice run in Kirkistown the last day and is a horse who will improve again.  He is for sale but could run again in winners’ company first”, reported McKeever.