Report | Kinsale 1st June 2019

Ask Me Early stepped up from his third-placed debut effort at Tralee the previous Saturday by winning the 15-runner O’Leary Insurance Group five-year-old geldings’ maiden under Jimmy O'Rourke.

The Ask-sired gelding was always positioned close to the pace and he picked up the running from four-out.
Hard Ground moved second on the run to two-out, but he just wasn't quite able to cope with the towering grey on the flat with three parts of a length ultimately separating the pair. 

"He's a horse that you should hear tell of and he should make into a nice staying chaser," said owner/trainer Pat O'Rourke of the winner, a €35,000 acquisition at the 2017 Derby sale that's out of an unraced own-sister to Grade 2 placed chaser High Cotton.

Dubai Daisy showed the necessary improvement from her fifth-placed effort at Ballindenisk two weeks earlier by returning to the coveted number one slot under her handler Eugene O'Sullivan's daughter Maxine O'Sullivan.

Glenough still held a fractional advantage when falling two-out and Shabba Dada Do was then left in front.
However, the latter then drifted noticeably left-handed on the run to the final fence and Dubai Daisy picked up the running. At the post, Dubai Daisy had two lengths to spare over Shabba Dada Do.

O'Sullivan said of Dubai Daisy, owned by his long-standing patron Joe Buckley from Mallow: "She's a lovely big, strong mare that has just taken a bit of time. She could go to the track in the autumn or else come back pointing."

The Robert Tyner-trained Direct Image, having shown promise by chasing home subsequent British bumper winner Getariver on her debut at Moig South back in November, supplemented her recent Dromahane victory by providing Derek O'Connor with the opening leg of a sparkling three-timer in the Zurich Mares winner-of-one.

The daughter of Shantou, having been positioned in mid-division, moved ever closer on the ascent from three-out and she took command on the run to the second last to beat recent Ballindenisk maiden victress Hello Pilgrim by three lengths.

"She's a relaxed mare that settled well and Derek (O'Connor) rode her with a lot of class. She will probably now run over hurdles,” said Tyner of the winner who owned by the 12-member Traveling Light Syndicate from Kinsale.

Longhouse Music has been a terrific servant to handler Sam Curling and owner/breeder John Duggan and the daughter of Gamut recorded her thirteenth success of the campaign by winning the Walsh Graphics mares’ open.

She ultimately shared the champion pointer of the season award with Kruzhlinin, who captured the Ballingarry ladies open on Monday.

The daughter of Gamut who was providing Derek O'Connor with his second success of the evening, moved through to pick up the running before six-out and she seemed to briefly have a battle on her plate approaching the final fence as the maiden Something Rosie held every chance in second spot.

The sweet-jumping winner however threw another fabulous leap here and she was always in command on the flat, a length separating her from Something Rosie.

"She's a brilliant mare and she will be back pointing again next season," said Curling, who also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Kruzhlinin.

Derek O'Connor brought up the concluding leg of his hat-trick by combining with the absent Jim Dreaper to collect the Dore & Co. Solictors Open with Attribution.

A former 143-rated chaser when trained by Henry de Bromhead for Gigginstown House Stud, the Loughbrickland runner-up Attribution was held up well off the pace and he edged somewhat closer  from four out as veteran Sydney Paget took the nine runners along. 

Attribution moved through to challenge Sydney Paget on the inner at the second last and he then took command after this penultimate obstacle to account for the long-time leader by three lengths.

"Kinsale has a great reputation for producing nice ground and we've had this race in mind since for this horse since he finished second in Loughbrickland.

"He will now be left off and the plan is that he will come back pointing again next season," said Dreaper's son and assistant Tom of Attribution, whom he acquired on behalf of the Knockalough Syndicate for £18,000 at last September's Goffs UK sale at Doncaster.

New Ireland Assurance adjacent maiden saw Ballinaclasha, Midleton-based owner/trainer Dan Rohan, himself a former amateur rider, send out his first winner since 2014 when the mare Battle Away sprung a mild surprise in the hands of Johnny Barry.

The six-year-old, who was having a sixth career start, always took the eye in running and she moved through to lead two-out.

She was already travelling marginally stronger than runner-up Cilluirid when the latter erred at the last, three lengths ultimately separating the pair.

The winner returned to a rapturous reception and Rohan said: "I've always had a lot of faith in her and she's the only one I have in training at the moment. I ride her out myself around the farm at home."