Report | Dromahane 7th April 2019

Declan Queally was the leading rider at the meeting as he partnered two winners and he opened his account in the Cork & Waterford Trainers older geldings’ maiden aboard the Debbie Hartnett-trained Exit Eleven.

Runner-up on his previous start at Nenagh in mid-February, the gelding disputed the running after a mile until edging ahead after four-out. Exit Eleven was always in command from that point and he stormed clear from two out to contain Gold Sun by 10 lengths.

"Declan [Queally] was very positive on him and he jumped great. He's a lovely big horse and perhaps we could now run him in a hunters chase," said the handler of the gelding who is owned and bred by Joe Walsh from Mullinavat in south Co Kilkenny.

Goggins Hill Knackery and Members of Killeady Hunt adjacent maiden Robert Tyner's grey Rob Royal brought up the Queally brace by recording a virtual pillar-to-post success in this closing contest. Rob Royal, who actually fell on his only two previous starts, got into a lovely rhythm in front and the sweet-jumping seven-year-old asserted from two out to beat Red Vita by six lengths.

Tyner said of his wife Mary's Rob Royal: "He has been somewhat frustrating, but he has had a few small niggly issues. He has that bit of class about him and he will probably now go for a bumper."

Whilst Derek O'Connor was in action at both Castletown-Geoghegan and Fairyhouse, the Galwegian's wife Carol O'Donnell was present to see her colours being carried to success by newcomer A Different World in the opening Cork and Waterford trainers four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The gelding, trained by Derek's brother Paurick, was always quite well positioned and the victorious son of Jeremy moved through with Eoin Mahon to overtake the well-supported Commit Or Quit on the run to the final fence.

There was then very little to separate the pair, but A Different World maintained a narrow advantage to the line to account for Commit Or Quit by a half-length. The pair returned 18 lengths clear of the third-placed Quirt Evans.

The winner is an own-brother to Manofthemoment, who won a four-year-old maiden at Loughrea last year and he has since made his mark over hurdles for Tom George. It's probable that A Different World, a €9000 graduate of last year's Goffs Land Rover sale, will now be offered for sale.

There was yet another close finish in the eight-runner Cork and Waterford trainers five-year-old geldings’ maiden with newcomer Doyen Dancer returning to the coveted number one slot under his handler Denis Hogan's 19-year-old cousin Jack Hogan.

Remedy Z set out to make all here and he still held a fractional advantage when erring at the last. The Doyen-sired winner, who did well to survive a notable blunder at the fifth fence, was in full flow by now and the Raymond Treacy-owned bay surged to the fore on the flat to account for Remedy Z by a half-length in a race that saw a little under two lengths cover the first four home.

The physically-imposing Doyen Dancer is incidentally a half-brother to Grade 2 novice hurdle winner Real Steel.

Shane Baragry partnered a fourth winner of the season by joining forces with Donie Murphy to triumph aboard newcomer Velkera in the 13-runner Gain Horse Feeds & Clona Dairies five and six-year-old mares’ maiden contest, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon.

The well-supported Wouldubewell appeared to make the decisive move by edging ahead after the second last.  However the triumphant daughter of Sholokhov forged to the front on the flat to dismiss Wouldubewell by one and a half lengths.

The mare is owned by Jeff Murphy, who said: "Velkera is a lovely mare that I bought from Donie Murphy's brother Matt as a three-year-old and there will be plenty of improvement in her."

The Crossbarry Inn Open saw the Eugene O'Sullivan-trained It Came To Pass supplemented last month's Lismore success by sauntering home under his handler's daughter Maxine O'Sullivan.

In a race that unfortunately attracted just three runners, the winner made smooth progress from the rear to pick up the running after three-out. It was all plain sailing thereafter as the half-brother to former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere ultimately returned with four lengths to spare over long-time leader Timewaitsfornoone.

"He showed a bit of class there and he's qualified for the winners of one hunters chase at Tramore," said the handler, representing British-domiciled owner Alurie O'Sullivan.