Shane O’Rourke made his only mount of the afternoon a winning one by teaming up with Slieverue-based handler Ian Power to capture the Gain Horse Feeds & Rockmills Furnishings five-and-six-year-old mares’ maiden which attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 11 runners at what was the 80th anniversary Kildorrery meeting, with Goffsbridge Girl.
A daughter of Touch Of Land, Goffsbridge Girl always travelled well in mid-division and she moved through to hit the front on the inner before two out. She was travelling best in the lead when her closest pursuer West Vintage, who was some two lengths adrift in second spot, fell at the final fence and the triumphant bay then came home by four lengths from Rosie And Millie.
“She was ready to run in the autumn, but she got a bit weak and we gave her a break,” said six-horse handler Power of Goffsbridge Girl, owned by a syndicate from Foulksmills in Co Wexford that’s headed by Philip Daly. “She won very well, I’m delighted, and she will probably now go to the sales.”
“She was ready to run in the autumn, but she got a bit weak and we gave her a break,” said six-horse handler Power of Goffsbridge Girl, owned by a syndicate from Foulksmills in Co Wexford that’s headed by Philip Daly. “She won very well, I’m delighted, and she will probably now go to the sales.”
Kildorrery committee member Paddy Cronin, who trains a small string outside Doneraile, attained a long-held ambition of sending out a winner at this meeting as the five-year-old Duhallow Paddy returned to the coveted number one slot in the hands of his nephew William Cronin in the Bluegrass Horse Feeds & Munster Van Centre five-year-old-and-upwards adjacent maiden for novice riders.
The previously twice-raced Duhallow Paddy, the first horse that Cronin has trained for Joe ‘Frog’ O’Sullivan, disputed the running practically throughout. Runner-up Honest To Goodness and he had the race to themselves from three out. Duhallow Paddy was the faster in the air over the second last and he drew clear on the approach to the final fence to beat Honest To Goodness by an increasing eight lengths.
The previously twice-raced Duhallow Paddy, the first horse that Cronin has trained for Joe ‘Frog’ O’Sullivan, disputed the running practically throughout. Runner-up Honest To Goodness and he had the race to themselves from three out. Duhallow Paddy was the faster in the air over the second last and he drew clear on the approach to the final fence to beat Honest To Goodness by an increasing eight lengths.
The elder Cronin divulged: “I’m very friendly with the Vaughan family [landowners’] and it really means the world to me to win a race here. I’ve had a few seconds here at this meeting before, but this is my first time to win a race here. This horse will now go for the point-to-point bumper at Cork over Easter.”
The judge was called upon following the Hanleys Butchers five-year-old geldings’ maiden as he declared a dead-heat between the Donnchadh Doyle-trained newcomer Diger Daudaie and Eugene O’Sullivan’s Stung For Cash.
The French-bred Diger Daudaie led from the second last with James Walsh, but Stung For Cash readily rose his effort from the final fence and he stormed home on the inner to force a dead-heat. Stung For Cash was a first winner for 21-year-old Gary Noonan from Newcastlewest, who rides out with owner/trainer O’Sullivan four days a week. Diger Daudaie was providing absent handler Doyle with a second winner of the afternoon as the Monbeg Stables operator was also on the mark with Madiba Passion in the four-year-old maiden at Punchestown.
O’Sullivan remarked: “Stung For Cash is by Scorpion and I also won this same race four years ago with another horse by Scorpion in Scorpiancer who has since done very well in the US. I would hope that Stung For Cash will also go on to be a good horse."
The French-bred Diger Daudaie led from the second last with James Walsh, but Stung For Cash readily rose his effort from the final fence and he stormed home on the inner to force a dead-heat. Stung For Cash was a first winner for 21-year-old Gary Noonan from Newcastlewest, who rides out with owner/trainer O’Sullivan four days a week. Diger Daudaie was providing absent handler Doyle with a second winner of the afternoon as the Monbeg Stables operator was also on the mark with Madiba Passion in the four-year-old maiden at Punchestown.
O’Sullivan remarked: “Stung For Cash is by Scorpion and I also won this same race four years ago with another horse by Scorpion in Scorpiancer who has since done very well in the US. I would hope that Stung For Cash will also go on to be a good horse."
The Tim Townend-trained Duarigle, a half-brother to 12-time track winner Tranquil Sea, brought up Eoin O’Brien’s brace by coming home as he wished in the Dairygold & Rathbarry Stud six-year-old-and-upwards geldings’ maiden. Duarigle, who pulled up on his initial outing at Tallow two weeks previously, made his way to the front three out and he was clearly possessing too many aces for Ciaran Fennessy’s mount Bright Rhett from two out with six lengths separating the pair. Mr Stubbs, an initial mount for Tallow teenager Eoin Tobin, meanwhile returned a further eight lengths adrift in third spot.
This was a visually taking performance from Duarigle and Derry Quinlan’s physically-imposing chesnut, who also won the best turned out prize, is likely to develop into a progressive track performer if this performance is anything to go by.
This was a visually taking performance from Duarigle and Derry Quinlan’s physically-imposing chesnut, who also won the best turned out prize, is likely to develop into a progressive track performer if this performance is anything to go by.
Minella For Value posted arguably one of his best ever performances by destroying the opposition in the Amber Oil & John McSweeney open with his handler Declan Queally to book his passage to next month’s Cheltenham Foxhunters, a race in which he incidentally finished sixth in 12 months ago.
The spring-heeled Minella For Value, also successful in this same race last year, disputed the running with Wilcosdiana until leading from the eighth fence. The veteran, having received a timely breather on the descent to four out, stormed clear after the fourth last to beat fellow joint-favourite Winter Magic by 25 lengths.
“He’s a fresh horse this year and he will like the big field at Cheltenham, “reported an understandably-delighted Queally of his mother Bernie’s Minella For Value, who was winning his eighth point to add to his six track victories. “I am really looking forward to going to Cheltenham again with him."
The spring-heeled Minella For Value, also successful in this same race last year, disputed the running with Wilcosdiana until leading from the eighth fence. The veteran, having received a timely breather on the descent to four out, stormed clear after the fourth last to beat fellow joint-favourite Winter Magic by 25 lengths.
“He’s a fresh horse this year and he will like the big field at Cheltenham, “reported an understandably-delighted Queally of his mother Bernie’s Minella For Value, who was winning his eighth point to add to his six track victories. “I am really looking forward to going to Cheltenham again with him."
Just four horses went to post in the AIB & Crossmore Tyre Recycling winners of two and Mushera Mor, having an initial start for Cullen, Mallow-based handler Neil Hurley, made a triumphant return to action by providing Eoin O’Brien with the opening leg of a two-timer.
Mushera Mor, who won his maiden in impressive fashion at Dawstown last May, was always merely in cruise control in third spot as Turndownthevolume and Royal Haslar cut out the running. The victorious eight-year-old eased past runner-up Turndownthevolume after three out en-route to beating Roy Tector’s mare by 20 lengths.
“He will probably go for another winner’s race and then the hunters chase at Cork over Easter,” reported four-horse handler Hurley of his absent father Tony’s Mushera Mor
