Pat Doyle seems to have a more than useful sort on his hands in newcomer Getaway Pat, who impressed by winning the 17-runner Bridgie Terrie Pub & Restaurant five-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of John Barry.
The 2017 Derby sale graduate, running in the colours of Doyle's wife Mary, was always positioned on the pace and he asserted approaching the last to beat Tom Barry's hugely-promising debutant Captain Blackpearl by three lengths.
The pair returned 10 lengths clear of the third-placed Ask A Honey Bee in a race that's likely to feature a plethora of future winners.
"He's a nice horse and we've been waiting for a bit of winter ground for him. He will probably be sold now," said the Tipperary handler.
The Al Eile Stud five-year-old and upwards confined maiden for novice riders unfortunately attracted just three runners and Michael Sweeney, fresh from his memorable success aboard Ask Heather at Boulta the previous Sunday, maintained his advantage at the head of the novice riders' championship by recording an eighth success of the campaign aboard Call His Bluff.
An ex-track performer that finished third off a mark of 84 in a Clonmel handicap hurdle in September 2017, the seven-year-old made all the running to beat the only other finisher Glencottagelady by a distance.
Owner/trainer Niall Hennessy said: "The track experience helped and the logical thing to do is to go for a winners race with him now."
Timetoroe stepped up from her most recent seventh-placed effort at Dromahane on December 30th by narrowly coming off best under Niall Redmond in a gripping three-way tussle at the finish of the Tom Curran - Topline five-year-old mares’ maiden.
Glencoum Lass set out to make all and she still held the call approaching the final fence with the pursuing Rarest Diamond appearing to be her biggest danger.
The winning daughter of Vinnie Roe closed on the lengthy run-in and she hit the front inside the final 50 yards to edge out the valiant Glencoum Lass by a short head, with a similar margin back to Rarest Diamond in third spot.
"She's improving the whole time and she will now more than likely be sold," said owner/trainer John Redmond.
The concluding Country Store (Conor Lannen) six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden saw Shanacoole make light of a 14-month lay-off by recording an authoritative success to justify favouritism.
The Colin Motherway-trained six-year-old made his way to the front for Luke Murphy setting out on the final circuit. In command from after two-out, the victorious son of Oscar duly defeated Lough Derg Lyric by five lengths.
"He's a horse that we just had to give a bit of time to, but we were quietly confident coming here and he will now go for a winners race," said Motherway of his wife Linda's Shanacoole, who was providing him with a third individual winner of the season.
Terence O'Brien has his team in cracking order at present and the Carrigtwohill-based operator sent out Kalli's Quest to record a scintillating success with Darragh Allen in the Tom Fleming, Equine Dentist six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
The six-year-old, had probably the best form on offer considering that she finished third to Plan At The Minute on her debut at Dromahane on December 30th and she always occupied a prominent position.
The winning daughter of Kalanisi assumed command on the approach to the bypassed final fence and she then stormed clear on the run-in to beat the ultra-consistent Airgead Suas by 12 lengths.
"She's a mare that has kept improving and I knew that she would come on from her run at Dromahane," said O'Brien representing the Coolglen Syndicate.
The Murrays Family Pharmacy mares open was a most eventful contest with Paul O'Flynn's pointing debutant Holly Flight arriving from well off the pace to record a somewhat unlikely looking success under Gary Noonan.
Approaching the final fence, it appeared that the race would concern Bloodstream and Longhouse Music. Bloodstream however cruelly came to grief at the last when holding a slender advantage. Runner-up Longhouse Music was then left in front, but Holly Flight made up some five lengths on the run-in to hit the front inside the dying strides to deny Eoin Mahon's mount by a head.
"Ciaran Fennessy does all the work with this mare at home and she will run in another mares' open in a few weeks’ time," said handler O'Flynn of Michael Fennessy's Holly Flight.
