Report | Dromahane 8th Apr 18

Pat Doyle has his string in excellent form at present and the Suirview Stables operator sent out his seventh individual four-year-old winner of the season when Shot To Hell stepped forward from his third-placed debut effort at Lismore last month to record a game success in the hands of five lb claimer James Kenny in the Goffs UK, Aintree Sale four-year-old maiden.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned Shot To Hell tracked the frontrunning Est Illic until going to the front before the eight fence. The winning son of Kayf Tara established a commanding advantage from five out, although this was eroded from the third last. Whilst looking sure to be overtaken before the final fence, Shot To Hell bravely rose his effort to account for favourite Cobblers Way by one and a half lengths. Winged Leader meanwhile returned a further five lengths adrift in third spot.

“He’s a very nice sort that was fit and he jumped well,“ divulged Doyle of Shot To Hell, a €110, 000 graduate of last year’s Derby sale that’s a half-brother to Grade 2-placed hurdler Meet The Legend.

The Coolmore NH five-year-old geldings’ maiden attracted the biggest field of the day in 14 runners and Barry O’Neill edged into a narrow advantage over Jamie Codd (35 – 34) in this season’s title-race by steering Colin Bowe’s newcomer Hill Sixteen to a clearcut success.

Carrigmoorna Pine went to the front after a mile and Robert Tyner’s towering bay had Spyglass Hill and Hill Sixteen as his closest pursuers from before the third last. Hill Sixteen and Spyglass Hill arrived to join issue at the final fence. Hill Sixteen edged into a narrow advantage on the flat and he duly defeated Spyglass Hill by a length, the pair returning four lengths clear of the third-placed Carrigmoorna Pine.

“He’s a lovely big honest horse that was bought at last year’s Goffs UK spring sale,” said Bowe of the Milestone Racing Partnership’s Hill Sixteen, a son of Court Cave that traces back to Ever Blessed and Sumos Novios.   Hill Sixteen was quickly added to this Thursday’s Goffs UK sale after racing at Aintree.

Derek O’Connor initiated the opening leg of a two-timer by combining with long-standing ally Robert Tyner to land the Tattersalls Ireland five-and-six-year-old mares’ maiden with Escort’namix. A daughter of Al Namix that fell two out on her only previous start at Bartlemy last term, Escort’namix benefited from frontrunning tactics with O’Connor expertly dictating matters at the head of affairs. Whilst holding a commanding advantage from four out, Escort’namix’s lead was eroded from after the third last and she ultimately fought off runner-up Henrietta Bell to score by one and a half lengths.

“She’s a very sharp sort and Derek says that she will be smarter over a shorter distance, “remarked Tyner of Escort’namix, his initial winner for owner Walter Connors.

Ask Mary continued her upward trajectory by supplementing last month’s victories at Horse And Jockey and Durrow to record a game success in the hands of her handler Dick Lalor’s daughter Liz in the Duhallow P2P Committee mares’ winners of two.

The five-year-old Ask Mary, who had to be ridden along briefly in fourth spot on the run to three out, took command on the approach to the second last. Although tiring somewhat from the final fence, she still beat ex-track performer Jodies Miss by three lengths. Ask Mary, a daughter of Ask that represents Galwegian James Killeen, is now likely to be seen in action at the rescheduled Courtown fixture on Saturday April 21st.

Pat Doyle and Derek O’Connor both went away with two winners. The pair combined to capture Duhallow P2P Committee Open with the admirable 11-year-old Sydney Paget, who most meritoriously was recording his sixth consecutive success of the season. Sydney Paget made virtually all the running and he was already well in command when throwing a fabulous leap two out, six lengths duly separating him from Rattle The Cage.

“He’s a tremendous horse to train and he looked a million dollars today,” said Doyle of the Roddy O’Byrne-owned Sydney Paget, a former seven-time track winner that was posting his 13th points success.

“He would have hated the ground out there today, but at the same time, he had no race and he will hopefully run again in a few weeks’ time. “

The Michael Winters-trained Papal Present stepped up from his commendable fourth-placed debut effort behind Minella Indo at this same venue last month by landing the Duhallow P2P Committee five-year-old-upwards adjacent maiden in the hands of Chris O’Donovan.

Papal Present, representing Kanturk native Brian Sweetman, always took the eye in running off the pace and he surged to the front at the second last to beat long-time leader Quarry Rebel by three lengths.

“It’s great that he won and the plan now is that he will go for the point-to-point bumper at Tipperary next month,“ said Winters of Papal Present, his only runner of the day.