Sunday’s Duhallow Foxhounds point-to-point fixture was a great day for Adam Feeney

Adam Feeney is riding with terrific confidence at present and the Ballyduff Upper native continued his rich vein of form at Sunday’s Duhallow Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Dromahane by landing the four-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard the Tom Keating-owned/trained newcomer Ballycommon Boy.

The Harzand-sired Ballycommon Boy (8/1) always took the eye in mid-division and he made smooth progress on the outer from the fourth-last of the 13 obstacles to lead approaching three out. Ballycommon Boy was clearly travelling best in front thereafter and, whilst blundering at the final two fences, he still beat fellow debutant The Irish Avatar by a comfortable two and a half lengths.

“He’s a lovely horse that has always done everything very nicely and he should be a bumper type,“ said County Tipperary handler Keating of Ballycommon Boy, his initial four-year-old winner of the season.

The vast majority of local interest revolved around the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden and 19-year-old Luke Burke Ott from Boherbue recorded a fourth points success aboard the Louis Archdeacon-trained mare Red Night Sky (6/1). 

The seven-year-old Red Night Sky, owned by Kevin Murphy from Kanturk who was the clerk of the scales at this meeting, stepped forwards from her fifth-placed effort at Liscarroll the previous Sunday by hitting the front before two out to dispose of her stable-companion Duhallow Jury by eight lengths. Duhallow Jury was actually ridden by the winning rider’s elder brother Andy Burke Ott.

“I must give all the credit to Kevin [Murphy] as he wanted to persevere with her,“ reported handler Archdeacon of ex track performer Red Night Sky.

The Irish Avatar’s handler Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill still combined for a two-timer and they initially struck with the hugely-exciting debutant Fairy Park (6/4 – evens) in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, much to the dismay of the 10 bookmakers present. 

Fairy Park, a daughter of Walk In The Park and out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bellshill that was bred by Frank Motherway outside Killeagh, tracked long-time leader Time To Give in second spot until leading three out. 

It was all relatively plain sailing thereafter as Fairy Park, an embryonic chasing type, bounded clear to dismiss Cappa Lass by eight lengths.

“She’s a lovely big mare that was just a little bit green and she will now go to a sales,“ disclosed Bowe of Bellshill, a €58, 000 foal purchase that represents the Co Kildare-based Grangeclare Stud.

The grey-coloured newcomer Unflinching (9/4) completed the Bowe/O’Neill brace in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 15 runners. 

The French-bred Unflinching had just moved through to join issue with Follow My Order when Sean Aherne’s charge cruelly fell two out. Unflinching then made the best of his way home from this penultimate obstacle to account for Garrett Ahern’s ex track performer The Rebel County by two and a half lengths.

Bowe reported of the Montmarte-sired Unflinching: “He’s a very big staying type of a horse with a lovely attitude and he will now go to a sale.“ 

The Ian McCarthy-trained Jennyfromtheblock (3/1) went one better than she did in her debut at Ballycahane last month by returning to the coveted number one slot under Eoin Mahon in the five-and six-year-old mares’ maiden. 

Jennyfromtheblock edged ever closer from the fifth-last and, with a good jump taking her to the front two out, she readily asserted on the run to the final fence to see off Miss Bumblebee by three lengths.

“She’s a big straightforward filly that was just a bit unlucky in Ballycahane and she will be sold now,“ reported handler McCarthy of his wife Nicki’s Jennyfromtheblock in whom Adare breeder Martin White still holds an interest.

Handler McCarthy and rider Mahon similarly departed with two winners as they then doubled up courtesy of Fountain House in the open (4/7). 

Fountain House, winner of a maiden hunters chase on his previous start at Thurles last month, recorded a sixth points success by easing through to lead from three out and he duly returned with three lengths to spare over Olivia Hegarty’s Heroes Of Renown. 

Monasterevin-based McCarthy indicated that Fountain House will now be aimed for the Bishopcourt Cup Hunter Chase at the Punchestown festival later this month.

Next Sunday, it’s back to Dromahane for the Killeady Harriers annual fixture (1pm start).

Results:

Going: Good/Yielding 

Goffs Punchestown Sale 4-Y-O Mares’ Maiden of €800. 3 Miles Grangeclare Stud’s Fairy Park b f (Walk In The Park – Fairy Hill) 11-11 Mr B O’Neill N Casey’s Cappa Lass 11-11 Mr E Mahon Gaynestown Stud Partnership’s Time To Give 11-11 Mr R Sugrue 7 ran. 8L, 6L, 36L. (Winner trained by Colin Bowe) Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale 4-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden of €800. 3 Miles T Keating’s Ballycommon Boy b g (Harzand – Atasha) 11-11 Mr A T Feeney Milestone Bloodstock Ltd’s The Irish Avatar 11-11 Mr B O’Neill Gaynestown Stud Partnership’s Terrano (FR) 11-11 Mr R Sugrue 11 ran. 2 1/2L, 2L, 3L. (Winner trained by Tom Keating) Redweld Stables 5 & 6-Y-O Mares’ Maiden of €1, 850. 3 Miles Mrs N McCarthy’s Jennyfromtheblock b m (Harzand – Aiyana) 5-11-11 Mr E Mahon Blackhall Stables Partnership’s Miss Bumblebee 5-11-11 Mr B O’Neill Mrs T Hyde’s A New Deck 5-11-11 Mr D O’Connor 12 ran. 3L, 8L, 3L. (Winner trained by Ian McCarthy) Coolmore 5-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden of €800. 3 Miles Milestone Bloodstock Ltd’s Unflinching (FR) gr g (Montmarte – Kapirovska) 12-2 Mr B O’Neill The Treble County Syndicate’s The Rebel County 11-11 Mr J P Ahern Mrs C Cashman’s Our Amigo (GB) 12-2 Mr J G Murphy 15 ran. 2 1/2L, 1 1/4L, 5L. (Winner trained by Colin Bowe) Pegus Horse Feeds & Dairygold Open Lightweight of €1, 850. 3 Miles Mrs N McCarthy’s Fountain House b g (Lucky Speed – Cabra Cruizor) 7-12-2 Mr E Mahon T G McAuliffe’s Heroes Of Renown 11-11-11 Miss A S O’Connor Ms I T Walsh’s Cloudy Tuesday 10-12-2 Mr T O’Connor 7 ran. 3L, Nse, 3/4L. (Winner trained by Ian McCarthy) Rathbarry & Glenview Studs 5-Y-O & Upwards Adjacent Hunts Maiden of €1, 850. 3 Miles P K Murphy’s Red Night Sky b m (Zambezi Sun – Dilis Go Bais) 7-11-6 Mr L Burke Ott J O’Sullivan’s Duhallow Jury 5-11-11 Mr A Burke Ott D Cronin’s Annie Questions 7-11-11 Mr M J O’Connor 5 ran. 8L, 6L. Only 3 Horses Finished. (Winner trained by L J Archdeacon)