Dessie Hughes, who celebrated his 70th birthday last week, received the perfect present when his Bryan Cooper-ridden Raz De Maree gave the popular Kildare trainer a first success in the Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick last Sunday.

Run on exceptionally heavy ground following all the recent rain, Sunday’s race attracted some of the top staying chasers in training with Eric McNamara’s Kerry National runner-up, Questions Answered and Noel Meade’s Cross Appeal going off 5/1 joint-favourites for this Grade A three-mile test.

Fourteen faced the starter in search of the €48,000 first prize with Gigginstown House runner Mr Cracker prominent in the early stages. Heading towards the third last fence quite a few horses had worked their way into contention with the winner, Quietly Fancied and Question Answered emerging as serious contenders with the second last fence looming large.

By now Cooper was getting a real tune out of his mount and, having hit the front on the stands side at the last, Raz De Maree powered away to beat 14/1 shot Quietly Fancied by six and a half lengths. Question Answered crossed the line a further head back in third.

“That’s my first time to win this race and it’s nice as it was my birthday during the week,” said a delighted Hughes.

“Raz De Maree is not overly big but he’s a great jumper. We were hoping there was a big handicap in him some day as he stays so well. He had a lovely weight of 10-4 on his back and that was ideal in a big race like this. We’ll have a look at the Troytown Chase at Navan for him next,” added Hughes whose operation is based at Osborne Lodge on the Curragh.

Elsewhere on the card at Greenmount Park, Ruby Walsh continued his good run when riding two winners.

The former champion opened his account for the afternoon when guiding Tony Martin’s Mulleady to victory in the opening Isobel Boutique Adare Hurdle.

Sent off 3/1, this daughter of Definite Article mounted her challenge two out and quickly sealed this issue when drawing clear on the run-in to beat One Cool Shabra by nine and a half lengths.

Walsh later teamed up with his regular provider Willie Mullins to claim the Grade 3 Fergus O’Toole Memorial Novice Hurdle aboard 7/2 shot Zuzka.

Runner-up Dara Tango looked like he was going to be hard to beat when surging to the front at the second last in this two-mile, five-furlong event, but Walsh had plenty of horse under him as he swept Zuska to the front at the last en-route to a very easy 11-length success.

Tony Martin went on to record a double when the Meath trainer sent out former point-to-pointer Sraid Padraig to land the second division of the closing STL Logistics Beginners’ Chase.

A facile winner of his maiden at Dromahane last November, Sraid Padraig was subsequently sold to leading owner Barry Connell and, having disappointed when out of the money in his only bumper start at Fairyhouse last Easter, he proved a different kettle of fish here.

Ridden by Robbie Power, the 16/1 chance proved that putting a fence in front of him did the trick as he turned in a excellent round of jumping to beat He’s A Delight by seven lengths. The winner looks a horse with a big future and his shrewd trainer can be relied upon to place him to good advantage.

Meanwhile, Killaloe trainer Ronnie O’Leary was on the mark cross channel on Saturday when his7/2 shot Claiming Benefits ran out a good winner of the concluding bumper at Hexam.

Ridden by Peter Carberry, the son of Beneficial made every yard of the running and stayed on powerfully in the closing stages to account for runner-up The Friary by two lengths.

The winner is likely to come under the hammer at next month’s Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham Racecourse and, on the evidence of Saturday’s effort, looks to have a bright future over jumps.

On the point-to-point front, Derek O’Connor was on duty at last Sunday’s Galway Blazers meeting at Loughrea where the Tubber rider visited the winner’s enclosure when bringing the well-backed Girl In Blue home in front in the five-year-old an upwards mares’ maiden.

Finding 5/4 from an opening show of 2/1, Girl In Blue was given a typically confident ride by the nine times champion who brought the daughter of High Roller with a perfectly timed challenge to beat Sing A New Song by ten lengths.

Kinsale-based winning trainer Robert Tyner nominated a bumper as the next port of call for what was his first winner of the new season.   

 

Cesarewitch stroll for Weld’s Voleuse

Dermot Weld’s Voleuse De Coeurs turned last Sunday’s Hacketts Bookmakers Irish Cesarewitch into a procession when giving Tuam, Co Galway apprentice Leigh Roche his biggest success to-date.

Handed a 15Ib hike for a facile win at the Galway festival on her previous start, Roche’s mount went off 6/1 favourite and her supporters never had a moment’s worry as the three-year-old Teofilo filly travelled like a dream throughout before scurrying clear early in the home straight to beat Mick Winter’s game mare Missunited by ten lengths.

Quin trainer John Hassett will be thrilled by the showing of his Lough Ferrib who turned in a super effort as the now 11-year-old finished his race well to fill third under Rory Cleary a further length away. Successful under Davy Russell when landing a gamble over hurdles at Listowel last month, Lough Ferrib displayed his versatility here and is a credit to his owner/trainer whose horses are in flying form at the moment.

Dermot Weld was busy saddling a runner in Canada, but his son Kris remarked: “This was the plan since Galway and we thought Voleuse De Course would win. She handled bad ground in Galway but it was real winter ground out there today and she coped with it admirably. She’s a very nice filly and will stay in training next year.”

Tipperary man John Grogan has just one horse in training at his Cashel yard and he showed the others how it’s done when sending out Katla (16/1) to land the six-furlong Listed Waterford Testimonial Stakes.

Irish Derby winning rider Seamie Heffernan took the bull by the horns aboard this home-bred daughter of Majestic Missile when taking it up a furlong and a half down and that move paid dividends when the duo lasted home to beat the Joseph O’Brien-ridden 8/11 favourite Maarek by a length.

Meanwhile, champion jockey-elect Richard Hughes hit the bookmakers hard on Monday when riding seven winners at Windsor.

Son of Curragh trainer Dessie, Hughes has been scintillating form this season and he caned the layers when taking seven races from eight mounts at the London track.

A favourite with racing fans, Hughes’ mounts always prove popular with betting shop punters especially and his 10,168-1 seven-timer will have left his supporters in a happy mood.