Report | Ballindenisk 5th May 18

The newcomer Robyndzone, a son of the Fraam stallion Frammassone, sprung a major surprise by prevailing in a gripping three-way finish in the Goffs UK Spring Sale four-year-old maiden with his handler Mark Scallan. Robyndzone was always quite well positioned in this slowly-run contest and he went to the front before the second last.

Eagle De Guye was soon in his slipstream and Milvale was closing in third when jumping out to the right at the last. As the line approached, Robyndzone was in no mood to be denied as he held on by two heads to edge out fellow first-timers’ Milvale and Eagle Du Guye.

“He’s a nice horse that we bought at the August sales last year and he will now be sold, “said Cleariestown-based Scallan, who was sending out his second winner of the season, of his girlfriend Laura Roche’s Robyndzone. A late-May foal, Robyndzone is closely related to former Champion Hurdle winner Celtic Shot.

19-year-old Mike Sweeney from Cappoquin will forever treasure fond memories of this meeting as he rode his initial career winner aboard the Denis Ahern-trained Glorious Boru in the Carey Tool Hire & Radisson Blue Hotel five-year-old-and-upwards confined maiden. Owned by Ahern’s wife Norah, Glorious Boru finished second at Knockanard back in February and he bounced back from a slightly-disappointing fifth-placed effort at Lisronagh the previous Saturday. The seven-year-old got into a lovely rhythm towards the head of affairs here and he powered clear from two out to beat the mare Qu’elle Brille by 12 lengths.

Dungourney dairy-farmer Ahern, also the individual responsible for starting off Native River in points as a four-year-old in 2014, disclosed: “I’m really delighted for Mike. He rides this horse out every day at home and he was hungry for a winner. “

The meeting’s clerk of the course John O’Callaghan, who lives literally across the road from the track, sent out his homebred Tourard Ways to win the Coolmore, McCarthy Commercials & Aidan O'Shaughnessy five-year-old-upwards mares’ maiden in the hands of long-standing ally Tom Feeney. The Misternando-sired Tourard Ways, who really caught the eye by finishing second against the geldings’ on her career debut in the Inch adjacent hunts maiden before Easter, seemed beaten in fifth spot before the second last.

The triumphant six-year-old however rose her effort from this penultimate obstacle by storming into the lead on the climb to the final fence. She was always travelling best thereafter and, although eased inside the final 50 yards, she still beat the consistent Cloudy Music by four lengths to provide the evergreen Feeney with a most meritorious 50th points success.

“I was worried that the ground may have been too testing for her, but she is a tough sort that is improving away the whole time and I might run her in a winners of one now, “said owner / trainer / breeder O’Callaghan of Tourard Ways, out of a half-sister to the recently-deceased Glencairn View from the same family as Joe Lively.

Fenno’s Storm is on a clear upward trajectory and the seven-year-old supplemented his success in the four-mile open at Lisronagh the previous Saturday by hardly breaking sweat with his handler Declan Queally in the Rathbarry Stud & Cork Plastics Open. Fenno’s Storm, also the winner of the coveted Tetretema Cup hunters chase at Gowran Park back in March, made virtually all the running and he stylishly drew clear of veteran Drawn N Drank from two out to oblige by a ridiculously-easy 12 lengths.

“If it kept raining, we might run him again this season. But, he could well be finished for the year and I hope that next year will be a very big one for him, “commented Queally of his cousin Maurice Walsh’s Fenno’s Storm.

The Shay Barry-trained Dbestyman stepped forwards from his fifth-placed debut effort at Curraghmore on Easter Sunday by landing the Tattersalls Ireland five-and-six-year-old geldings’ maiden under Rob James. Dbestyman was always positioned close to the pace and he eased to the front before the second last. Although then losing some momentum here, the winning son of Mahler asserted before the last and he ultimately beat Worthapunt by six lengths.

Kilmeadon-based owner Denis Hayes said:”This fellow was in training last season. My son Conor rides out with Shay Barry and we sent this horse to Shay in January. He’s a lovely sort that will probably now be sold."

Punters once again got it correct when Jimmy Mangan’s five-year-old Trio For Rio justified strong market support by recording an authoritative success in the Geaney Property Development Winners Of Two under Eoin O’Brien. Trio For Rio, having finished a fine second to subsequent Cork hunters chase winner Oscar Contender at Dromahane in March, got into a lovely rhythm and he eased to the front before the bypassed second last.

There was only going to be one outcome from here on in as Trio For Rio, who remarkably was having a seventh start of the campaign, surged clear to dismiss the year-older Megaudis Speed by 10 lengths. “He has improved a tonne and he has just needed time, “said Mangan of Trio For Rio, owned and bred by long-standing points supporter Barry O’Driscoll . “We might run him again before leaving him off. “