Declan Queally made his only mount of the day in the Gain five-year-old mares’ maiden, a victorious one by combining with Debbie Hartnett to win this race with Whatsdastory, who clearly had the best form on offer, considering that she finished second to recent Warwick bumper winner Printing Dollars at Quakerstown last term.
Whatsdastory tracked the front-running, All The Way West until assuming command before two-out. With the latter then erring when beaten at this penultimate obstacle, the winning daughter of Beneficial forged clear to oblige by a widening 12 lengths.
"We left this mare off after buying her at the sales as a three-year-old and she has strengthened up a lot,” said Donoughmore-based Hartnett of the Tom Hegarty-owned Whatsdastory.
The opening Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old mares’ maiden saw Jamie Codd, fresh from partnering a 900th points winner aboard Liam Lennon's Pegase Amour at Loughanmore the previous afternoon, made inroads towards his next century by landing this opening contest aboard the towering Take it Away.
The Denis Murphy-owned/trained Take It Away, who was sent off favourite when coming third on her only start last season at Moig South in March, always took the eye in running as Subtle Quest and Honest Opinion vied for supremacy up front.
There was only going to be one outcome once Take it Away picked up the running two out as she powered clear to dismiss the ultra-consistent Subtle Quest by 12 lengths.
"She has always been working well and I'd imagine that she will now be sold,” said Murphy of Take It Away, a half-sister to seven-time track winner Financial Climate that was acquired for €22, 000 at the 2017 Derby sale.
Derek O'Connor, having partnered a three-timer at Lisronagh the previous afternoon, partnered another hat-trick here and he got the afternoon off to the best possible start by making his initial mount of the afternoon a winning one aboard the Ellemarie Holden-trained Wherewouldugetitin in the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sales four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
A son of Morozov, that was one of six newcomers in the eight-runner field, Wherewouldugetit disputed the running on the outer with Word Has It until going for his race at the second last.
The winner was clearly travelling best in front at the final fence and he ultimately beat the staying on Grey Getaway by two lengths.
Ellmarie Holden was represented by her father Paul , also Wherewouldugetit's owner and he said of the close relation to Grade 1 RSA Chase winner Weapon's Amnesty: "We bought this fellow privately as a three-year-old and he will probably now go to the Cheltenham sales next weekend."
The five-year-old and upwards adjacent maiden, saw-Damian Murphy, having sent out Timber Jack to finish second in the five-year-old geldings' maiden, keeping his many local supporters happy by saddling Breac Again to win this closing contest in the hands of Joanna Walton.
The six-year-old gelding, absent since pulling up on his debut at this same venue back in March, took up the running travelling best, before the final fence and he duly fought off the mare Don't Tell Mom by one and a half lengths.
"It's great that he has won and I'd imagine that he will go for a winners race now," said Murphy of Breac Again, owned and bred by long-standing point supporter John Cahill from Kilkorney outside Banteer.
Joe Casey's The Ferry Master, who finished third in a maiden at this same fixture 12 months ago, stepped up from his fourth-placed return effort at Castletown-Geoghegan last month by providing former champion O'Connor with a second winner of the afternoon in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Ferry Master made progress from mid-division before the third last and he was left a close second when fractional leader Shanacoole Prince fell two-out.
The winning son of Elusive Pimpernel was in full flow at this point and he stormed ahead before the last to dismiss newcomer Timber Jack by three lengths in the colours of breeder Virginia Lady Petersham.
Croom-based handler Casey said :"He's a consistent horse that is getting stronger and really he is only coming to himself now.
The bit of juice in the ground today helped and I'm delighted to train a winner for the owner, she has been involved with my yard for the past 10 years. "
Derek O'Connor brought up his three-timer by steering Enda Bolger's Stand Up And Fight, sporting the familiar JP McManus silks, to an easy front-running success on his point debut in the Singletons SuperValu open.
The six-year-old Stand Up And Fight, runner-up in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at the Faiyhouse Easter festival in 2017 and who later attained a 134 rating over flights, gave a superb exhibition of fencing at the head of affairs and he powered clear from two out to dispose of Johnny Sue by six lengths.
In the absence of handler Bolger, who was at Navan where he saddled former pointer Ballyoisin to win the Grade 2 Fortria Chase, his representative Sarah Bermingham said: "Enda has always held this horse in very high regard and he couldn't have done it any easier here. Hopefully, it's a case of onwards and upwards now."
