Michael O'Sullivan, fresh from his three-timer at Kildorrery the previous Sunday, recorded the opening leg of a double by riding his first winner for handler Jimmy Mangan aboard Bandon Bridge in the Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens open for novice riders.
The 2017 Warwick handicap chase winner, stepped up from his third-placed effort behind Oscar Contender at Tallow last month by mastering odds-on favourite and long-time leader Cloudy Morning at the final fence to score by a length, in the familiar colours of owner/breeder Karen O'Driscoll.
Mangan was on hand to say: “He ran a great race to come third in Tallow and he loves this heavy ground. He will go for another open now and I'm delighted for Karen [O'Driscoll] that he has won here at Bandon."
The Springmount Stud & AIB Bank older geldings’ maiden saw Michael O'Sullivan bring up the concluding leg of his two-timer by teaming up with Robert Tyner to capture this four-runner contest with last month's Ballyvodock third Dandy Times.
Whilst the eventual winner lost some momentum along the top of the track after two-out, he was still somewhat fortunate to score as Larcadio coasted clear on the descent to the final fence and Terence O'Brien's charge was some eight lengths clear of his pursuers when cruelly falling here.
Mr West Coast was then left in front, but he wasn't altogether foot-perfect at the obstacle as Dandy Times came through to beat him by two lengths in the silks of Gavin Cronin. The six-year-old will now be primed for a tilt at a winners of one.
Jimmy Mangan was credited with his second success of the afternoon in the Kevin OLeary & McLauglins Medical Hall, Bandon winner of one when Monty's Mission supplemented last month's Tallow maiden victory by returning to the coveted number one slot under Johnny Hurley.
The five-year-old shadowed the front running New Earth virtually throughout and the pair moved clear from the third last.
There was very little to separate the pair until Monty's Mission edged into a narrow advantage just before the last.
She was a length up on New Earth when Mikey Kennedy's charge fell here and, despite then drifting left-handed, she held on grimly to account for patiently-ridden veteran Troll D'Oudairies by a diminishing length.
Mangan said of the Hanford's Chemist Limited-owned Monty's Mission: "Johnny [Hurley] said that she hated that heavy ground and the plan now is that she will go to Ballynoe for the Gain Mares' Final at the end of the month."
Cormac Doyle made his initial visit to Bandon a memorable one by saddling Eclair Surf to record a bloodless front running success in the Barryroe Co-op & Chris McCarthy Greenbuild Ltd five-year-old geldings’ maiden under claimer Jack Hendrick.
The son of Califet who finished a fine third to West Cork on his only previous outing at Lisronagh almost four months earlier, was bounced out with the intention of making all and the sweet-jumping bay had Mighty Altogether as his closest pursuer from after a mile.
The pair drew further clear of their toiling rivals setting out on the final circuit and the €44,000 Land Rover Sale graduate, stormed clear after two-out to beat recent Cragmore third Happy Larry by a distance.
"He's an airplane! He wasn't right when he finished third at Lisronagh in November as he scoped wrong afterwards and he will hopefully now go to the Cheltenham Festival Sale now,” said Doyle of the Monbeg Farm Partnership-owned winner.
It certainly was a red-letter afternoon for 27-year-old Padraig Butler from Timoleague he enjoyed his initial success as a handler courtesy of the mare Delight Of Dubai, owned by his brother JJ Butler, in the five-runner Bandon Motors & Bandon Co-op adjacent maiden.
The five-year-old had chased home the progressive Monty's Mission at Tallow last month, was another to benefit from pacesetting duties and her jumping was virtually foot-perfect with Darragh Allen throughout.
Whilst runner-up Eoulalyo momentarily threatened danger well before the final fence, Delight Of Dubai asserted to oblige by six lengths.
"This is my first racehorse and my brother JJ have had. We bought her at the August Sale in 2017 and I would like to say thanks to my cousin James Dullea, as we gallop her with his horses from time to time," said an understandably elated Butler, who works at the Novartis pharmaceutical plant in Ringaskiddy.
The Norman Lee-trained Seangoell, runner-up on her only previous points start at Cragmore last month, easily justified odds-on favouritism in the hands of Chris O'Donovan in the Glenview.ie five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
The ex-track performer went to the head of affairs after four-out and she was well in command when her closest pursuer Slipping Away, who was some 12 lengths adrift, refused at the final fence, leaving the five-year-old to come home a distance clear from the only other finisher On We Go. "She won in the style that we expected and she will now run on the track after getting a break," said Lee of the John Devitt-owned mare.
