Report | Monksgrange 29th Apr 18

Local jockey’s dominated the day’s proceedings at Monksgrange with Rob James initiating the haul for them in the day’s opener,as he guided the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Mega Yeats to victory in the Ire-Wel Pallets four-year-old mares’ maiden, a race which was run in the driving rain. The newcomer was held the narrow advantage when chief rival Methodtothemadness crashed out at the penultimate obstacle leaving the winner a much simpler task, with the well related daughter of Yeats running out a comfortable three length winner over Caddy Shack.

“She is really good looking and a cracking mare. We only got her in August from the sales but she has done everything very well at home so we were confident ahead of the run,” reported Doyle of the sales bound Monbeg Syndicate-owned Mega Yeats.  

The Sean Doyle-trained Faithfulness carried the colours of Basil Valentine to victory in the Nitrofert mares’ maiden to provide Rob James with his second winner of the afternoon. The well-bred daughter of Robin Des Champs was strongly supported before the off and could be called the winner some way out, running out the eight length winner over fellow market leader Jasper Bear.

“She is a smashing big mare and fair play to Basil (Valentine), as she was a big weak mare that just needed a bit of time and he was in no rush. She has showed us loads at home and is well-related. She should go on to be a black-type mare over fences," remarked the winning handler.

Roy Tector’s own homebred Turndownthevolume registered her third victory of the season when scoring in the Cooney Furlong Grain winners of two under a front running ride from Barry O'Neill. The daughter of Stowaway was left clear by the departure of Buckie Cullen at the second-last and seemed to have the race put to bed, however she just held off the late challenge of Makeapoint by a diminishing half-length.

The winning handler stated afterwards; “She is genuine out and from the family of Ivan King and Young Deveraux. I put a tongue tie on her today as she just got stuck in the mud down in Cork. I want to go to the track with her so I will just take a look and see what is coming up.”

The Con Man, trained by Colin Bowe and part-owned by Marguerite Furlong, the chairperson of the Bree Hunt, was a very popular local winner in the Goffs UK Spring Sale five-year-old geldings’ maiden. The Oscar gelding put in clinical display of jumping under O’Neill to lead after three-out and soon had the race at his mercy, coming home six-lengths ahead of the more experienced Old Rascals.

“He is a lovely horse. We had him last year but he just needed a bit of time, so we were patient with him as he is a nice one. We will have a chat and see where he goes now,” reported Bowe of The Con Man, a  €50,000 graduate of the 2016 Tattersalls Derby Sale.

The crowd at the Co. Wexford venue were treated to a thrilling conclusion to the day, as Rob James and Barry O'Neill, both in the hunt for a treble, were involved in a battle to the line in the Ballywalter Farms six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden, with the latter getting the verdict abroad the Mark Cahill-trained Soarlikeaneagle by a head to Captains Run.

“I bought him as a three-year-old at the Land Rover sale and it has taken us until now to get him to the track. He was a big horse that has had some knock backs and has taken time. We will try and sell him, but we may go for a winners’ race in the meantime as he will improve a bit for the run,” divulged Cahill of Soarlikeaneagle, who had finished third at Turtulla on his debut back in November.

The Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old geldings’ maiden looked to be a vintage renewal of the race with a host of well-bred individuals lining up, and it was the Harley Dunne-ridden Eden Du Houx who came home in front by four lengths over Tactical Move. The son of Irish Wells had run keenly during the early parts of the race, before being brought to the fore after the fifth fence, and he remained there for the remainder of the contest.

“He was very impressive there now in fairness to him. We have always thought an awful lot of him at home and he is a lovely sort that came out of the Land Rover sale. His work has always been good so we were really fancying him coming here,” divulged Doyle of the Baltimore Stables Syndicate-owned Eden Du Houx.

“Harley (Dunne) said he got through the ground well. He couldn’t hold him and just had to bring him to the front and went on. He will probably go to the sales now.”