Report | Monksgrange 28th April 2019

Wexford riders Barry O'Neil and Harley Dunne both enjoyed a successful day at their local track in Monksgrange. O'Neill rode a treble while Dunne recorded a double on the day.

O'Neill found his first success of the afternoon in the Baltimore Stables five-year-old geldings' maiden for Donnchadh Doyle. Go Whatever, having been placed on his three previous starts this season, ran out an easy fourteen length winner over the Johnathon Fogarty-trained Broadway Joe.

“He is a grand horse that we fancied coming here as he had the form in the book and has been a very consistent horse. He will go to one of the sales now,” said the winning handler’s brother Sean Doyle.

Jonathan Fogarty managed to go one better in the second divide of the five-year-old geldings' with Ofalltheginjoints. Having been badly hampered on his last run in Kirkistown before pulling up the gelding made all the running under Ray Barron to deny the challenge of the Liam Kenny handled runner up Ashtown Lad.

The winning handler said: “I’m delighted to win that with him as he was very unlucky the last day and when he was almost brought down at Kirkistown. We fancied him coming here and he did it well, so he is for sale now.”

Barry O'Neill's second success came when recording a win in the Lance Bloodstock winner of three race aboard Fort Worth Texas. The Colin Bowe-trained mare, who was previously second in the Gain Mares' Final at Ballynoe, got the better of long time leader Getawaytonewbay marking the mares third win of the season.

The two-and-a-half-length runner up was trained by Vincent Devereux and ridden by Shane O'Rourke. The winning daughter of Gold Well is owned by Leo McArdle from Castleblaney in Monaghan who was on hand to greet his winner.

“She has been brilliant this season. She is in for the point-to-point bumper at Tipperary but I don’t know whether she will go for that as she has done a lot this season and will be getting a break very soon. She will go to the track next year and likes a bit of winter ground,” said the winning Kiltealy handler.

O'Neill quickly brought up his treble in the first divide of the Peter Nolan Bloodstock & John McGrath Farrier five-year-old and upwards mares' maiden for Robert Tyner. The winning daughter of Yeats, Bella Ballerina, ran out a three-length winner to deny the Colin Bowe-trained Mt Leinster Gold.

Owned by Catherine O'Driscoll, the winner was previously third on her debut at Cragmore in February. O'Neill said: “I think she is a good mare as she did that very easily for me. I would imagine she could get an entry for the point-to-point bumper at Tipperary now.”

Harley Dunne recorded his first success of the day aboard Lexi's Warrior in the second division of the five-year-old mares' race. Owned/trained by Richard O'Keeffe, the daughter of Jeremy showed huge improvement having pulled up on her three latest starts.

The mare battled well to secure a three-length victory over the Colin Bowe-trained Oscar Bonnie who was ridden by up and coming rider Jordan Gainford.

The winning handler said; “She has come back into form and I was very happy with her coming here.
She did it well in the end and we will probably go for a mares’ bumper over 2m 4f now.”

Dunne secured his double in the Connollys Red Mills six-year-old geldings' maiden for Denis Murphy. Carrig Hill improved upon his second at Courtown three weeks previously to record a five-length success over the Shay Slevin-trained Spring Well.

The winning rider said; “He did that well. The last day he was only really learning to race, as he made a couple of novicey jumps and didn’t really take me. He was a lot better today and jumped very well. When I asked him to quicken up he did it nicely and I’d love him to go for a winners’ race now.”

The final auction race of the year, the Goffs Punchestown Sale four-year-old maiden, went to Bernie Murphy with the debutant Gabbys Cross.

The Frammassone gelding, who cost €5,000 as a store, stayed on gamely to record an easy five-length success under the guidance of Tom Hamilton. The runner up, Frisco Bay was owned/handled by Sam Curling.

The winning handler has only six horses in training this season and three of her four runners have won, she said; “We have always thought a lot of him. He has never let us down and has always shown us that he was a good horse.

"I told anyone that would listen today that he was a good horse. Simon Cavanagh was supposed to ride him but my brother Denis (Murphy) took my jockey this morning. So Shark (Hanlon) got me Tom Hamilton who did a great job."

The Target Fertilisers open went to the Arctic Skipper for Vincent Halley. The son of Flemensfirth battled well to find success having been hampered when Accordion Twilight fell at the second last.

In the hands of John Barry, the winner showed a good attitude to come back and deny the David Harry Kelly-trained Oscar Contender by two lengths.

The winning handler said; “He will probably come on a lot for the run fitness wise but you would have to be delighted with that as he was very game and considering he will come on for it. It is ground dependent whether we get another run into him this season.”