Good win for East Clare with Western Man

EAST Clare trainer Ronnie O’Leary got on the score sheet at last Sunday’s Dungarvan Harriers’ point-to-point at Affane where his newcomer, Western Man, ran out a good winner of the first division of the opening four-year-old maiden.
Nicely backed from 7/2 into 5/2, the son of Westerner, who races the silks of his trainer’s wife, Vicky, was ridden by Derek O’Connor with the pair quickening up in good style in the closing stages to beat the Ciarán Fennessy-ridden runner-up, Bardeli, by three lengths.
Cork-born former jockey O’Leary, who rode many big race winners when attached to the late Jimmy Fitzgerald’s yard in the north of England, predicts a big future for the winner who is now likely to go through the ring at the Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham Racecourse early next month.
“This is a smashing horse,” said O’Leary. “He was working really well at home and we were very confident he’d win today. He has a very good pedigree and a lot more will be heard of him in the future. Derek gave him a brilliant ride and there is no doubt he’s the top man on the point-to-point scene. If this horse isn’t sold privately, he’ll go to the sales,” said the Ogonnelloe-based handler.
O’Connor, fresh from a double up north at the Kirkistown, County Down meeting the previous day, wasted little time in adding to his tally when taking the second division of the four-year-old maiden aboard Mouse Morris’ 6/4 favourite Rule The World.
Yet another smart newcomer to don Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House colours, Rule the World hit the front two out before running on strongly to repel the challenge of Terence O’Brien’s More Madness by half a length.
Eight-time champion, O’Connor, went on to record a hat-trick (his fifth win of the weekend) aboard his brother Paurick’s mare Sherika (3/1) in the second division of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Having her first start for O’Connor’s Tubber yard, this daughter of Beneficial was in total command approaching the final fence and only had to keep up to her work in the closing stages to beat Mikey O’Connor’s mount, Carrig’N May, by three lengths.
Paurick O’Connor, who trains the winner for the eight-strong Heading For Aintree Syndicate from the Killaloe area, was greeting his fourth winner of the season.
He outlined, “This mare had plenty of track experience having had six runs over hurdles and I expected her to run a big race today. She won well enough in the end and may well go back to track now, she’s rated 81 and might be a candidate for Limerick over Christmas.”
Boulta has the point-to-point stage all to itself this coming weekend with the start of Sunday’s meeting at the east Cork venue brought forward to 10.30am due to the large number of entries received.

Mullins ‘Stars’ at Punchestown

THE form of Willie Mullins’ horses has been nothing short of sensational of late and his hot streak continued at Punchestown on Sunday where a sparkling four-timer for the Carlow trainer was highlighted by the victory of his 5/4 favourite A Thousand Stars in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes.com Morgiana Hurdle.
This two-mile contest had been pencilled in as a return to action point for reigning champion hurdler Hurricane Fly but Mullins opted to keep his stable star in reserve with A Thousand Stars proving more than an able deputy.
Ruby Walsh, who like Mullins, is on fire at present, popped A Thousand Stars straight into the lead and the flying grey, who is no mean performer in his own right, made every yard of the running to slam Jessica Harrington’s Oscar’s Well by five and a half lengths.
Mullins said, “He did what I was hoping he would. He had the best two-mile form in the race and had a stone in hand on official ratings. He’ll be entered in all the top two-mile races he contested last season and has been some servant.”
The day had started on the best possible note for the Mullins/Walsh alliance when the pair teamed up to land the opening Paul Carberry Autobiography Hurdle with hot favourite So Young.
The well-backed 2/5 shot hardly broke sweat when powering into the lead two out en-route to a bloodless 11-length success over Fully Funded.
The winner is likely to join his trainer’s powerful team for next month’s Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
Dare To Doubt was another Mullins/Walsh winner as the 5/1 joint-favourite came with a perfectly timed run to beat fellow joint-favourite Capellanus by three lengths in the Ladbrokes.com App Handicap Hurdle.
A daughter of ill-fated sire King’s Theatre, Dare To Doubt is obviously improving at a rate of knots and can be followed wherever she goes next.
A tremendous day for the Mullins camp was completed as Patrick Mullins steered former point-to-point winner Make Your Mark to victory in the concluding bumper.
Racing in the Gigginstown House silks, 13/8 favourite Make Your Mark proved far superior to his 14 rivals when digging deep inside the final furlong to beat Sizing Gold by a neck.
Earlier in afternoon, those same maroon and white Gigginstown colours had been carried to a hugely impressive success by Last Instalment in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Casino Florida Peal Novice Chase.
A horse with massive potential, Last Instalment, who landed his maiden at Lemonfield point-to-point back in 2010, won like an 8/11 shot should as he powered clear of long-time leader Four Commanders two out to beat that rival by an emphatic six lengths.
Winning trainer, Philip Fenton, indicated he will take it step by step with the Anshan six-year-old who must have soft ground to seen at his best.
Russell, who was revealed on Monday as Horse Racing Ireland’s ‘Ambassador of National Hunt Racing’ for the 2011/12 season, went to make it double when guiding Tony Martin’s 5/4 favourite Dedigout (who also carries the Gigginstown colours) to victory in the two and a half-mile maiden hurdle. 
There was also action at Punchestown on Saturday where ebullient Monaghan trainer Patrick Brady kept his army of followers entertained following his first and last race double.
Shouts of “Up Monaghan” reverberated around the enclosures at the Kildare track following the victory of One Cool Shabra in the opener with the Ballybay trainer, who really is a breath of fresh air on the racing scene, really giving it wigging as he shared in a double with seven-pound claimer Ger Fox when the pair were on the mark with Maccas Lad in the concluding bumper.  

Brilliant Kauto not finished yet

WHEN Kauto Star pulled up in last season’s Gold Cup at Punchestown many observers suggested the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner should be retired.
Thankfully, his owner Clive Smith, trainer Paul Nicholls and regular pilot Ruby Walsh thought differently and their opinion was fully validated as the now 11-year-old rolled back the years to land last Saturday’s Betfair Gold Cup at Haydock in breathtaking fashion.
A three-time winner of this race in the past, Kauto Star was a 6/1 chance for Saturday’s race as many thought he would be chasing last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Long Run’s shadow for most of this three-mile test.
Retirement may well be a while of yet if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by.
Ruby Walsh seized the initiative right from the very start as he popped the French-bred into an early lead. Jumping for fun, Kauto had his rivals in serious trouble as they turned out of the back straight and, with Walsh kicking his mount into every obstacle, Kauto Star kept going best of all to beat the staying-on 6/5 favourite Long Run by eight lengths.
The winner, who was cheered all the way around the parade ring before the race, returned to an incredible reception and those present at the Liverpool track knew they had witnessed something special as the star chaser recorded his 15th Grade 1 success over fences.
Little wonder it moved his trainer Paul Nicholls, who had just watched his Master Minded (Darryl Jacob) bounce back to his best to land the Bet 365 Amlin Chase on TV from Ascot prior to Kauto Star’s race, declare, “It’s my proudest day in racing”.
Both Master Minded (also owned by Smith) and Kauto Star now enter the picture for the King George at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, a race Kauto has won four times in the past.