Report | Monksgrange 31st March 2019

County Wexford rider Barry O'Neill enjoyed a double on Sunday at his local track in Monksgrange. The first of O'Neill's successes came aboard Cill Anna in the competitive looking IRE Wel Pallets four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Colin Bowe-trained daughter of Imperial Monarch battled gamely to defeat Ellen Doyle's Who's The Boss.

Bowe purchased the winner, who is named after a local town land in Irish, at the Land Rover sale last year for €38,000 and he said: “She is a smart filly. They went such a gallop that Barry said he never got a breather into her, the pace just never let up. She was very professional and she will head on to the sales now.”

Oscar Academy provided O'Neill with his second success of the day for John Paul Brennan, when the son of Oscar took the Ballywalter Bloodstock six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden by three lengths.

The winner was getting off the mark at the ninth time of asking, having been placed on six previous starts, with Orpen Wells having to settle for second on this occasion for owner-hander Kieran Purcell.

Winning handler John Paul Brennan said: “This lad has plenty of form and we really rate him, but Barry said today is the first day we had him right in a while. We will go for a winners race now or a bumper.”

Victory in the Goffs UK, Aintree Sale five-year-old geldings' maiden went the way of Vinnie Dev for Ashleigh Murphy in the hands of Tiernan Roche.

The son of Vinnie Roe stayed on well at the end of the contest to snatch victory from Alko Rouge, who had led from the outset.

The Ellen Doyle-trained runner up, had set a blistering gallop under Barry Stone and raced 25 lengths clear of the field for much of the race, before tiring notable in the closing stages to hand the success to the three-times previously placed winner.

Michael Murphy husband of the winning handler said: “He had to stay well today. He has run a couple of big races and has been improving away. He needs a test of stamina and the leader set a good test. The horses are in good form, we had a bit of sickness there in the winter but they are back on the right road again. He might for a winners race or we might go to the sales.”

Ellen Doyle had seen two of her other runners on the day narrowly miss out on victory, but she did not leave the Wexford course empty handed when her Israel Champ secured an impressive success in the Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Harley Dunne.

The son of Milan blitzed his opposition, running out an emphatic 12-length winner over Denis Murphy's On the Band Wagon.

The debut winner gave an outstanding jumping performance before quickening clear from the rest of the 11-runner field.

“He was very impressive there in what looked a good contest. We were confident we had a nice horse but everyone else thought the same! But we got the result thankfully and that’s what it boils down to. He has been showing plenty at home,” said the winning handler.

Get The Appeal followed up her second at Lingstown with an impressive victory in the Nitrofert five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden in the hands of James Kenny, as the daughter of Getaway ran out a 15-length winner over the Sean Doyle-trained Shoot To Fame.

Handled by Cormac Farrell, the winner led from the halfway point and pulled clear from the field in the closing stages.

Farrell recently enjoyed success with Wide Receiver, the Sholokhov gelding that was sold for £410,000 at the Cheltenham February sale following his debut win at Cragmore earlier in the same month and he said: “She was the only horse we had that could work with Wide Receiver. We were a bit disappointed the first day, but greenness probably just got the better off her in Lingstown coming down the hill. We will head to the sales now and James [Kenny] is a great lad, he does all the work with her at home.”

The Cooney Furlong winner of two contest went to Seamus Neville and Mikey O'Connor with Notice To Close recording his third success of the season.

Another front runner to find success, the grey Martaline gelding was a comprehensive ten-length winner over Whatsdastory.

Owned by the handler’s wife Ina Neville, the gelding will now be aimed for the point-to-point bumper in Cork.“

I thought the better ground might catch him, but he did it well. It takes a bit of doing to win three on the bounce. It was always our intention to give him a run in the point-to-point bumper at Cork and then let him off for the year. Hopefully, he will come back to do something even better next year,” said winning handler.