Report | Ballindenisk 3rd Dec 17

United Hunt (F) at Ballindenisk on Sunday 03rd December 2017.

Chris O’Donovan, the former novice riders’ champion rider, teamed up with his father John O’Donovan to collect this opening contest, the Heineken Ireland four-year-old maiden with Baron De Midleton. A son of Brian Boru that was the most experienced of the 16 runners with three previous outings to his credit last season, Baron De Midleton was always well positioned and he went to the front on the run to the second last. The patiently-ridden newcomer Coole Well made progress from the rear to go second before the last, but Paul Cashman’s charge couldn’t quite get to Baron De Midleton with one and a half lengths the ultimate winning margin. The elder O’Donovan, who also sent out Awbeg Prince to win the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at this same fixture last season, wasn’t present as he was away in Germany. He was however represented by his wife Sue and daughter Kate.

Aoibhe’s Beau made her initial start for Terence O’Brien a victorious one by spread eagling the opposition with Pat Collins in the Johnnys Restaurant and Takeaway, Watergrasshill, Co Cork five-year-old-and-upwards mares maiden. Aoibhe’s Beau, who showed clear signs of talent by coming third at Liscarroll last season, always travelled well and she took command after two out to slam favourite Rathbawn Rose by 10 lengths in the colours of former Waterford hurler James O’Connor from Lismore. “I only got this mare in the autumn and the plan was that we would get some form into her before selling her on, “ said O’Brien of Aoibhe’s Beau. “She is a lovely straightforward mare that galloped to the line and she couldn’t have won any easier. “

Richard Black, handler of Maire Banrigh who topped the Cheltenham festival sale this past March after making a stunning winning debut at Lingstown just four days earlier, sent out the towering Mount Rushmoore to oblige at the first time of asking in the Gallaghers Gastro Pub five-year-old-and-upwards geldings’ maiden in the hands of James Hannon. The winning son of Shantou still took up the running approaching the final fence, although he was joined by fellow newcomer Buck A Trend when James Dullea’s newcomer cruelly unseated here.

Mount Rushmoore, owned by John Murphy from New Ross in partnership with the winning trainer, then held on grimly as the line approached to beat Supremely Lucky by a head in what was the closest finish of the afternoon. “He’s a very big horse that was never going to run in the spring and we took our time with him. He will probably now go to the sales, “said 10-horse handler Black of Mount Rushmoore, a €34,000 graduate of the 2016 Fairyhouse August sale.

It certainly proved to be a red-letter afternoon for 19-year-old Edward Doggrell, a native of Sherborne in Dorset and who presently works with Will Biddick, for he recorded his initial success on Irish soil to add to his one British victory by steering Carrignagapple to a tenacious front running success in the Michael & Shane O Riordan, Livestock Haulier, Watergrasshill, Co Cork Winners Of Two. The six-year-old Carrignagapple, a dual British scorer last season that is owned, trained and bred by Cathy Hamilton who now lives in Mullinahone, led from the fourth fence and he was clearly containing long odds-on favourite Milan Dancer on the climb to the final fence with a length ultimately separating the pair.

The Batt O’Connell-trained Truckin All Night, a former three-time track scorer, made a triumphant return to action by coming with a well-timed run under 19-year-old Shane Baragry to record his sixth points success in the Noel Loftus Flooring, Blackpool, Cork Open for novice riders. Truckin All Night closed on the incline between the final two obstacles and he touched down in front at the final fence. The Conna Enclosure Syndicate-owned bay then stayed on tenaciously to repel Sea Beat by a length with a six-length break back to the third-placed Minella For Value. “He’s a tough horse and I didn’t think that he was ready enough, “said life-long points supporter O’Connell, who turned 70 on November 29th. “He’s a great horse for the likes of us to have and he leads the young horses at home. I ride him out myself every day and he will run away in points for the season.”

Ballynoe native Batt O’Connell went on to saddle two winners, but not in the style he or anyone else for that matter would have liked, when Truckers Time experienced a walk-over in the Commercial Vehicle Components Ltd., Old Mallow Road, Cork five-year-old-and-upwards confined maiden . It was Johnny Hurley that partnered Truckers Time. This was the second walk-over that has occurred already this autumn as Enda Bolger’s Youcannotbeserious was the only horse declared for the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at the Bruff meeting in Rathcannon on October 22nd.

STAR PERFORMANCE: Baron De Midleton left the form of his debut season behind him with a winning first start for the John O’Donovan yard.

VIDEOGRAPHER: IRIS