Chris O’Donovan the only rider to partner two winners at Duhallow Foxhounds Point to Point

THERE was some outstanding fare at Sunday’s Duhallow Foxhounds (Kanturk) point-to-point meeting at Dromahane and Shanballymore native Chris O’Donovan kept his supporters happy as he was the only rider on the eight-race card to partner two winners.

O’Donovan doubled up aboard the Tom Barry-trained Melk Abbey in the second division of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Melk Abbey, having finished an excellent third on her career debut in a vintage Cork contest on April 14, made her way to the front from the sixth last of the 15 obstacles and she was clearly going best from two out as she readily maintained the tempo to account for Pegs Theatre by five lengths in the colours of breeder Mrs Mary Turner from Kilavullen.

Handler Barry, who also started off the top-class Teraforthree in points, reported of the close relation to Creepy and Dinny Lacey: “She ran well the first day in Cork and she’s a mare with a lot of ability, I would have been disappointed if she had been beaten today."

The capable O’Donovan opened his account aboard the Mattie Collins-trained Tigers Roar in the second division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Tigers Roar, who had the benefit of a run in a Punchestown maiden hurdle in February, was always positioned close to the pace and he bravely fended off Super Survivor in the closing stages to oblige by a head in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

“That’s a case of job done and he will now go to the sales,“ said Castlemartyr-based Collins of Tigers Roar, owned in partnership by Mrs Geraldine Magnier with his own wife Bridget (Collins).

Proceedings opened with a clear-cut success for the Donal Coffey-owned/trained Copper Nation in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. It was Darragh Allen that was entrusted with the mount aboard Copper Nation and he sent the winning daughter of Westerner to the front at the fourth fence and she made the rest of the running to account for Pagaent Material by four lengths. It’s probable that Carrigtwohill-based Coffey will now sell the hugely exciting Copper Nation, a close relation to the previous afternoon’s Grade 3 Swinton Hurdle winner Copperless.

22-year-old David Mulcahy from Midleton will forever treasure fond memories of this meeting as he rode his very first winner aboard Ciaran Fennessy’s Backoftheenvelope in the first division of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. Backoftheenvelope, a former British track performer that was previously trained by Dan Skelton, forged to the front after three out and she duly defeated Martin Fitzgerald’s Marriage Ring by five lengths.

Fennessy was incidentally sending out his initial winner as a handler. His father Liam later commented: ”David [Mulcahy] is a great young chap that we couldn’t praise highly enough. He rides out with Ciaran six days a week and this mare was bought for him to ride in points.

“Brian Dunleavy, a 19-year-old that hails from Dungourney, rode his fifth career winner aboard his father Liam’s mare Kind Witness in the winners of one.

The Michael Griffin-trained Kind Witness led from the fifth fence and she went clear from after four out to dispose of Mortlach by 12 lengths. The admirably consistent Kind Witness will now run in a mares’ winners race at next weekend’s Necarne fixture in Fermanagh.

Banteer native Cal Shine (21), who has just completed his accounting studies at CIT, brought his career tally in points to 10 by sending the Debbie Hartnett-trained grey Babylon Beach to the front before three out to beat the only other finisher Getaway Lodge by a distance in the closing six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden for novice riders.

Next Sunday, there is a United Foxhounds fixture at Ballindenisk outside Watergrasshill (2pm start).

RESULTS

Going: Soft

Singletons SuperValu 4-Y-O Mares’ Maiden of €800: 3 Miles D Coffey’s Copper Nation b f (Westerner – Copper Destiny) 11-11 Mr D Allen Milestone Bloodstock Ltd’s Pagaent Material 11-6 Mr B T Stone T.D.H. Syndicate’s Doireann 11-6 Mr D G Whelan 6 ran. 4L, Hd, Dist. (Winner trained by Donal Coffey).

Tattersalls Cheltenham 4-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden of €800: 3 Miles Mrs M Doyle’s Frontier General b g (Mahler – Lady Zephyr) 11-11 Mr P A King Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership’s Dream In The Park 11-6 Mr J W Hendrick Monbeg Partnership’s Mayheblucky 11-6 Mr L P Gilligan 10 ran. 1 1/2L, 10L, 2L. (Winner trained by P M J Doyle).

Book Your Staycation at the Cliffhouse Ballybunion 5-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (1st Div) of €800: 3 Miles P J Flood’s Ted Hastings b g (Imperial Monarch – Portacarron Lady) 12-2 Mr L J Murphy R P Murphy’s Chancycourt 12-2 Miss M O’Sullivan 12 ran. 1L. Only 2 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by Peter J Flood).

Book Your Staycation at the Cliffhouse Ballybunion 5-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (2nd Div) of €800: 3 Miles Mrs D P Magnier & Mrs B G Collins’ Tigers Roar b g (Leading Light – Almnacha) 12-2 Mr M C O’Donovan Monbeg Syndicate’s Super Survivor 12-2 Mr J J Walsh Ms S Smyth’s Real Good Man 12-2 Mr D O’Connor 11 ran. Hd, 10L, 2 1/2L. (Winner trained by M P Collins).

INHSC Supporting Point-To-Points 5-Y-O & Upwards Mares’ Maiden (1st Div) of €1, 750: 3 Miles C W Fennessy’s Backoftheenvelope b m (Milan – Golden Firth) 6-11-6 Mr D A Mulcahy J A Fitzgerald’s Marriage Ring 8-11-11 Mr M C O’Donovan S Murnane’s Spare Wheel 7-11-11 Mr E Mahon 12 ran. 3L, 10L, 1L. (Winner trained by Ciaran William Fennessy).

INHSC Supporting Point-To-Points 5-Y-O & Upwards Mares’ Maiden (2nd Div) of €1,750: 3 Miles Mrs M Turner’s Melk Abbey b m (Sholokhov – Carig’n May) 5-11-11 Mr M C O’Donovan J Devereux’s Pegs Theatre 5-11-11 Mr S E O’Rourke G & P Berkery’s Knockanora Lady 7-11-6 Mr E Dwan 12 ran. 5L, 15L, 5L. (Winner trained by Thomas G Barry).

The Committee Winners Of One of €1, 750: 3 Miles L M Dunleavy’s Kind Witness b m (Witness Box – Kind Oscar) 8-11-6 Mr B Dunleavy Monbeg Partnership’s Mortlach (GB) 6-11-11 Mr L P Gilligan J G O’Connell’s Getzie 9-11-11 Mr J G Murphy 8 ran. 12L, Dist. (Winner trained by Michael C Griffin).

GAIN Equine Nutrition 6-Y-O & Upwards Geldings’ Maiden for Novice Riders of €1,750: 3 Miles M Tucker’s Babylon Beach gr g (Le Fou – Dranamol) 6-12-2 Mr C J Shine Milestone Bloodstock Ltd’s Getaway Lodge 6-12-2 Mr B T Stone 16 ran. Dist. Only 2 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by Debbie Hartnett).