A day at the races

A huge crowed turned out at Bellharbour last Sunday for the annual County Clare Hunt point-to-point where punters were entertained with a fantastic day’s racing.
All present agreed that this year’s renewal was one of the best ever seen at the idyllic North Clare venue, with the lands of Dermot and Jennifer Linnane in pristine condition, resulting in a perfect racing surface.
Riding honours for the afternoon went to visiting Wexford rider Matt O’Connor who bagged two winners.
O’Connor kicked off with a very impressive success aboard newcomer Classical Twist in the opening four-year-old maiden.
Eleven runners went to post here with 5/1 shot Classical Twist, who is trained in Enniscorthy, Wexford by Denis
Murphy, staying on best in the closing stages to beat the Derek O’Connor-ridden favourite Band Of Blood by two lengths.
O’Connor went on to complete his double in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden where he teamed up with Cork-based trainer Jim Culloty to score aboard easy winner Legal Exit.
Sent off at 9/2, Legal Exit, whose is also owned by three-time Gold Cup-winning rider Culloty, flew home in the closing stages in the manner of a smart horse to beat Witness In Court by 10 lengths.
Locals had plenty to cheer about in the confined maiden where Paul Walsh, who trains at Kiltannon House in Tulla, registered his first success as a trainer as unconsidered 10/1 chance Imjoeking landed the spoils.
The winner had luck on his side, however, as Noel Glynn’s Dontcallusweelcalu looked sure to win until toppling at the final fence, leaving the Jamie Ivors-ridden Imjoeking clear to beat James Conheady’s Cnoc Na Gcon by a length.
Sixmilebridge-based Niall Kelleher posted another local success when sending out 2/1 favourite, Vickys Lass, to land the second division of the concluding mares’ maiden.
A good second at Dungarvan on her previous outing, Vickys Lass was given a confident ride by James ‘Corky’ Carroll, who brought the daughter of Old Vic home 10 lengths ahead of runner-up Maeves Delight.
Derek O’Connor rarely leaves this fixture empty-handed and the Tubber-born champion was seen to good effect when scoring aboard Pat Doyle’s French-bred Zekarya in the second division of the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Sent off a well-backed 7/4 shot (from 5/2), this grey son of April Night proved way superior to his rivals when forging clear close to register a four-length success over Tipperary raider Minella For Value.
Gort trainer Hannah Lee also got in on the act as her useful seven-year-old, The Three Colleens, routed her rivals in the first division of the mares’ maiden.
Owned by her husband Joe Lee, this mare had plenty of track experience and that proved vital as the Kevin Power-ridden 8/1 shot pulled right away in the closing stages to score by a distance from Cappawhite Lass.
High-profile Kildare father and daughter team of Ted and Katie Walsh visited the winner’s enclosure when their Hinesight (5/2) landed the first section of the six-year-old race.
An unlucky loser when falling at Ballinaboola last time out, Hinesight, who races in the colours of top financier Dermot Desmond, encountered no such problems on this occasion when powering away on the run-in to beat Soupcon D’Albain by eight lengths.
Thurles owner/trainer Mark Molloy was in jubilant mood following the winners’ race where his Near Perfection scalded the bookmakers.
Supported from 4/1 into 6/4 favourite, this John Thomas McNamara was never in danger of defeat as he strolled to a 10-length win over runner-up The Mull, with Molloy nominating a hunter’s chase as a possible target for his well-backed winner.

Results
Going: Soft
Linnanes Bar & Restaurant, New Quay four-year-old maiden. 2 ½ miles.
1. PG Coffey’s Classical Twist (Oscar-Basically Supreme) 11-7 M M O’Connor; 2. Gigginstown House’s Band Of Blood 11-7 D O’Connor; 3. John Nallen’s Minella Fiveo 11-7 JT Carroll.
11 ran. Dist: 2L. 1L. 1L. Winner trained in Co Wexford by Denis Murphy.

Clare Marts and The Pier Head Bar & Restaurant Confined Maiden. 3 miles
1. Paul Walsh’s Imjoeking (Amilynx-Go Frankly) 12-0 JG Ivors; 2. James Conheady’s Cnoc Na Gcon 12-0 J Conheady; 3. Carol O’Neill’s Royale Knight 12-0 PJ O’Neill.
11 ran. Dist: 1L. 4l. 20L. Winner trained in Tulla by Paul Walsh

Gort Mart Ltd five-year-old geldings’ maiden. 3 miles
1. JHCulloty’s Legal Exit (Exit To Nowhere-New Legislation) 12-0 MM O’Connor; 2. Grainne Colville’s Witness In Court 12-0 PD Collins; 3. MO Cullinane’s Free To Dream. 12-0 RP Geoghegan.
8 ran. Dist: 10L. 2L. 10L. Winner trained in Cork by Jim Culloty.

Monks Bar & Restaurant, Ballyvaughaun six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden. 3 miles (Division 1)
1. DF Desmond’s Hinesight (Oscar-Curracloe Star) 12-0 Ms K Walsh; 2. JH Culloty’s Soupcon D’Albain 12-0 MM O’Connor; 3. Derek Pugh’s Crude 12-0 Ms J Pugh.
15 ran. Dist: 8L. 2L. 8L. Winner trained in Kildare by Ted Walsh.

Division 2
1. John Sherlock’s Zekarya (April Night-Zaouia) 12-0 D O’Connor; 2. John Nallen’s Minella For Value 12-0 JT Carroll; 3. JF O’Neill’s Clear Blue Sky 12-0 PJ O’Neill.
15 ran. Dist: 4L. Dist. 1L. Winner trained in Tipperary by Pat Doyle.

Kerry Co-Op and Sixmilebridge Co-Op Mart Ltd winners of one. 3 miles.
1. Mark Molloy’s Near Perfection (Oscar-Instant Queen) 12-0 JT McNamara; 2. Patrick J Macken’s The Mull 12-0 T Power; 3. Mike Burke’s Survival 12-0 JT Carroll.
13 Ran. Dist: 10L. Dist. 1L. Winner trained in Tipperary by Mark Molloy.

Gain Horse Feeds & B.Gillane & Co Ltd five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. 3 miles. (Division 1).
1. JA Lee’s The Three Colleens (Presenting-Kinincha Girl) 12-0 K Power; 2. TF Coughlan’s Cappawhite Lass 12-0 D.Skehan; 3. Mrs M Scott’s Jiggle Joules 12-0 A Murphy.
10 ran. Dist: Dist. 3L. Winner trained in Gort by Hannah Lee.

Division 2
1. JJ Walsh’s Vickys Lass (Old Vic-Leinster Lass) 12-0 K Power; 2. D Diviney’s Meaves Delight 12-0 D O’Connor; 3. M Kelly’s Comawnkelly 12-0 JJ King.
10 ran. Dist: 10L. 2l. 3L. Winner trained in Sixmilebridge by Niall Kelleher.