Happy hunting for Hannon

Newmarket-on-Fergus trainer Karen Hannon will harbour fond memories of last Saturday evening’s North Kerry Hunt point-to-point fixture at Ballybunion, having saddled her first winner with 4-1 Tisonlyme in the first division of the concluding older horses’ maiden.

Hannon, who, together with her husband John, hit the headlines when the horse they sold form their Killulla Stud, Some Article, won the 2012 Land Rover Bumper for Kilkenny trainer Tom Mullins at the recent Punchestown Festival, bred and owns Tisonlyme, which makes it a really special success.
Quin jockey Paul O’Neill, who has enjoyed a terrific season, was on board this daughter of Moscow Society who, having hit the front after three out, stuck her neck out in game fashion when challenged after the last to beat dead-heaters Anshan Prince and Keeptrading by two lengths.
“It’s a fantastic felling to have gotten off the mark,” said the delighted winning trainer. “Paul (O’Neill) gave this mare a brilliant ride and he’s as good a jockey as there is around. Tisonlyme was unlucky here last year when falling when leading at the final fence and today makes up for that. She ran well when second at Stradbally last Sunday and did it well in the end here.”
Expanding on her set-up at their well-appointed stud on old Limerick road out of Newmarket, Hannon continued, “We sell most of our horses and only race the odd one, to be honest. The sales side of things is going really well for John and me and that’s nice to see. I’m really new to the training game and it’s very much a learning experience. I expect Tisonlyme will go racing on the track now and we hope to have a good bit of fun with her.”
Award-winning jockey Derek O’Connor was in action at the sun-drenched Kingdom venue, where he registered a popular success aboard Robert Tyner’s 5-2 shot Dushrembrandt in the winners’ race. O’Connor was seen at his brilliant best aboard this son of Dushyantor who, having hit a bit of a lull at halfway, came with a stirring late flourish to beat Ken Budds’ Mistletoe Cottage by a length.
The winner, who carries the silks of Cork City owner Noel Hanley, looked a 100-1 shot turning off the home bend but O’Connor wasn’t giving up as he drove the victorious six-year-old clear on the run-in for what looked at one stage an unlikely success. The Tubber rider, who will be crowned champion point-to-point rider for the ninth season in a row when the campaign comes to a close at Ballingarry on Bank Holiday Monday, travelled to the Carberry Foxhounds meeting on Inchydoney Island on Sunday afternoon, where he dominated when riding three winners.
The 29-year-old’s first visit of the afternoon to the winner’s enclosure at the scenic west Cork track came in the opening four-year-old maiden, where he guided 4-1 chance Phar Away Island to victory. Owned and trained in County Tipperary by Sam Curling, this Heron Island youngster poked his head in front approaching the final before pulling clear on the run-in to beat the Bon O’Neill-ridden Wexford raider Pure Style by two lengths.
Success number two of the afternoon for O’Connor came in the second division of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, where he joined forces with Kinsale handler Robert Tyner when successful aboard 6-4 favourite Fiddlers Bid.
Again carrying the colours of Noel Hanley, the market leader showed all the right qualities when running on doggedly in the closing stages to beat runner-up A Hill To Climb by three-parts of a length.
O’Connor bagged his 67th winner of the season when completing his hat-trick as Kaitlin’s Fancy landed the open lightweight at odds of 3-1.
Former Cheltenham Foxhunter’s winner Whyso Mayo led his six rivals with four fences to jump in this event but O’Connor was stalking the leader aboard Kaitlin’s Fancy and, having eased his mount to the head of affairs on the run to the last, O’Connor only had to keep the winner up to her work as she pulled away to beat that rival by two-and-a-half lengths.
The winner, who may well turn out again at Kinsale this weekend, is trained in County Waterford by Sean Aherne for Cork owner Donal Barry.

Powerful 2,000 Guineas show

Aidan O’Brien’s Power bounced back to top form when coming with a well-timed run to land the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday.
Held up in the early stages by Joseph O’Brien, Power, who trailed in nearer last than first on soft ground in the English equivalent at Newmarket, seemed to be much more at home on this better surface as he came late and fast on the stand rail to give the O’Brien team yet another big-race success.
The winner’s stable companions Daddy Long Legs and Wrote set a smart pace in this one-mile event, with the former still holding the advantage passing the furlong pole.
O’Brien junior was getting a big run from Power however, with the pair forging through late on along the far rail to beat the fast-finishing Foxtrot Romeo, with Reply completing a good result for Ballydoyle when filling third.
Speaking in the aftermath his latest classic success, O’Brien said, “Newmarket was his first run of the year and, with the ground riding soft there, maybe he needed it. Ryan Moore, who rode him there, said he felt like a very good horse in the early part of that race but just didn’t get home on the ground that day. He has loads of class and they just couldn’t go too fast for him. He quickened up impressively at the end and that’s always nice to see.”
The O’Brien camp were fancied to make it a clean sweep in Sunday’s Etihad Irish 1,000 Guineas with Newmarket heroine Homecoming Queen, but the 11-8 favourite, whose English success had come on soft ground, obviously didn’t handle the faster conditions when trailing in a well-beaten fourth.
Victory went to the Mick Channon-trained 12-1 outsider Samitar, who was given a dashing ride by 22-year-old Letterkenny, County Donegal native, Martin Harley.
Channon, who played soccer with Southampton and England in his younger days, has been making a name in the training ranks and this was only his second classic win, having opened his account back in 2006 when taking the German 2,000 Guineas with Royal Power.
As at Newmarket, Homecoming Queen set out to make all the running but on this better ground the favourite was flying the distress signals at the furlong marker as Samitar and Harley swept past only cantering.
Once Harley got after his mount, she lengthened away in the style of very nice filly to beat Ballydoyle outsider Ishvana by a length-and-a-half, with Jessica Harrington’s Princess Sinead in third.
Channon said, “We got the good ground this filly needs today and that made all the difference.  We’ve gone close on a few occasions in the past here at the Curragh and I thought this was never going to come. I’m delighted for Martin (Harley). He works hard and deserves his success.”
While Channon may be best known as a top trainer on the flat, news that he intends to break into the jumping game has emerged following the announcement that three-time Gold Cup-winning trainer Henrietta Knight is to retire from training.
Channon is a next-door neighbour of Knight’s Wantage yard in the UK and he will take charge of some of her jumpers when Ms Knight hands in her licence over the next few weeks.
A brilliant trainer, Knight and her husband Terry Biddlecombe will forever be associated with Best Mate, who, having won a point-to-point at Tuam for the late Tom Costello, went on to land three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups (2002- 2004) under now retired Kerry-born jockey Jim Culloty.