Lough Ferrib in impressive form in Down

It is a long way from John Hassett’s Quin yard to Down Royal, but that journey proved worthwhile last Friday when Lough Ferrib justified good support to land the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap under Sam James.
Available at 11/2 in the morning, Lough Ferrib was the subject of much interest throughout the day before going off 3/1 favourite to land this 12-furlong contest and he didn’t let the side down with an impressive display at the County Down track.
Despite taking a strong hold early on, Lough Ferrib, who runs in the silks of the six-strong Collar & Tie Syndicate, always looked menacing and, once James gave the 60-rated Son of Accordion the office two furlongs out, the nine-year-old forged clear to beat runner-up Hey Bosco by a comfortable two-and-a-half lengths. The winner was landing his first race on the flat, having scored three times over hurdles, and a return trip to this week’s Listowel festival, where he won 12 months ago, may now be on the cards.
Hassett, who has long been the bane of the bookies’ lives having landed a string of well-executed gambles over the years, said, “This horse was probably overdue today’s success. He has been a good servant and while he is much better handicapped on the flat than over hurdles, he may well turn out over jumps next week at Listowel.”
Meanwhile, Spancilhill trainer Noel Glynn got the 2010 Listowel festival off to the perfect start when sending out his Gonebeyondrecall to land the €35,000 Dawn Milk Handicap Chase on Sunday.
A facile winner over fences at Killarney back in July, Gonebeyondrecall obviously thrives on the Kerry air as he again pulverised the opposition with a classy display in the opening’s day’s feature that carried a winner’s purse just shy of €23,000. 
With regular partner, Davy Russell, sidelined due to an earlier fall, Glynn was forced to round-up a last-minute substitute for his gambled-on 100/30 favourite (from 11/2 on course) with Grand National-winning jockey Robbie Power getting a late call-up to partner the former Goffs Landrover Bumper winner.
Settled in the pack during the early stages of this two-mile, three-furlong contest, Gonebeyondrecall began to take closer order approaching three out where a mistake briefly halted his progress. Power, however, quickly had the market leader back in full flow and the pair soon had matters in hand when pulling clear in the closing stages for a facile four-and-a-half-length success over the Mick Darcy-ridden 12/1 shot Pallasmore.
Glynn, who trains at Durra House near the historic Cross of Spancilhill, explained, “We had to make the decision to run here as he wasn’t going to get into the Kerry National on Wednesday. That was the race I really wanted to run in, but it has worked out well now that he has won this. He was one of the best bumper horses of his year and, while it has taken him a while to find his feet over fences, this is his second win in a row and he’s definitely going the right way.”
Speculating on where the victorious son of Dr Massini may appear next, Glynn outlined, “I’m not sure where we’ll go with him now. We’ll give him a couple of easy weeks and there should be plenty suitable races coming up for him then. The Beecher Chase at Liverpool could be an option as he has won over hurdles there before and the flat track would suit him. The Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas might also be a realistic target.”

Pathfork’s impressive national success

Jessica Harrington may have sprung to fame on the jumping scene as the trainer of dual Champion Chase winner Moscow Flyer, but the Moone, Co Kildare trainer is currently fast making a name for herself in the flat ranks thanks in no small way to the exploits of her unbeaten juvenile Pathfork.
A real smart sort, Pathfork faced his biggest test to-date when lining up in last Saturday’s seven-furlong Group 1 Boylesports.com Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh against eight rivals that included the highly-regarded Zoffany from the Aidan O’Brien yard.
In the end, 6/4 favourite Zoffany proved a major disappointment (moderate third) but not so Pathfork (2/1) who kept his unbeaten record intact with a gusty win over Mick Halford’s Casamento.
The ground at headquarters was softer than usual due to the recent rain but Pathfork, whose three successes have all come over Saturday’s course and distance, showed all the right qualities when, having looked likely to record an easy success, he had to dig really deep close home under Fran Berry to hold the renewed effort of the Declan McDonogh-ridden Casamento by a head.
There is no doubt that Pathfork is classy and he looks better and better with every run. He did have his hardest race to-date on Saturday and it was a fair compliment to the first two home that they pulled all of five lengths clear of the remainder.
Winning trainer Harrington remarked, “It is great he’s won and Fran (Berry) said that he didn’t really like the ground. It was pure class that got him there in the end. The owners (the Silverton Partnership) are from America and I’ll have to have a chat with them as to what our future plans will be.”
Bookmakers responded to Pathfork’s latest victory with quotes of between 7/1 and 10/1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas and, even at this early stage, the son of Distorted Humor has to be a leading fancy.
Saturday’s feature at the County Kildare track was the The Irish Field St Leger with victory here going to English raider Sans Frontieres. Jeremy Noseda’s runner was given a fine ride by French jockey Olivier Peslier who brought the Sir Robert Ogden-owned 13/8 favourite with a well-timed effort to pick off Dermot Weld’s Profound Beauty deep inside the final furlong for a three-parts of a length victory.
Both the winner and the runner-up have been tipped as possible contenders for the world-famous Melbourne Cup in Australia on the first Tuesday of November. Sans Frontieres was described as ‘probable runner’ by his connections in their post-race musings, while Dermot Weld, who remains the only trainer from the Northern hemisphere to have won Australia’s most famous race having scored with both Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle in 2002, has yet to make a final decision on Profound Beauty’s participation.