Report | Kirkistown 9th February 2019

Colin Bowe made a successful start to his new relationship with Gigginstown House Stud, as Hell’s Canyon, the first horse that he has sent out from his Wexford yard in Michael O'Leary’s maroon and white silks, returned the easy ten-length winner of the Dennison Commercials four-year-old maiden in the hands of Barry O’Neill.

The French-bred, an €85,000 purchase from the Goffs Land Rover sale by Navan trainer Noel Meade, had far too much to offer fellow French-bred Favori De Champdou, who returned in second.

“He is a lovely relaxed horse and has taken to racing very well.  The ground suited him and he might even like it a bit softer. He should make into a good staying chaser,” said Bowe.

The combination of the reigning champion handler and rider Bowe and O’Neill returned to the winner’s enclosure when Fort Worth Texas dominated the Old Manor Mill mares’ winner of two contest to supplement her Dromahane success from December.

The sole five-year-old in the contest, the Leo McArdle-owned daughter of Gold Well bounced back from her more recent showing at Boulta, to comfortably account for last-time-out Boulta winner Gold Time by eight lengths.
“We are going to go to the track for the summer and we decided to give her some more experience.  She likes better ground so maybe a summer bumper would suit,” said Bowe after saddling his second winner on the afternoon.

Jamie Codd remains the leading rider in the northern region this season, after he matched O’Neill’s double with a brace of his own at Kirkistown, beginning with the deserved success of Gold Des Bois in the Albert Bartlett five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Full Of Gold chestnut had looked set to go very close on his debut at Templencarriga last month only to come down at the final fence, however the Peter Fahey-handled French-bred made amends by defeating Stuart Crawford’s newcomer Lowtown Charlie by a length-and-a-half.

Winning owner Nigel Baring’s colours will be familiar to those regulars on the northern pointing circuit, with the likes of Bach De Clermont and Lucky Pass having both carried them to success, whilst 12 months ago, he enjoyed success at the corresponding fixture with Bi Quini Tiep.

“Coming here today we were a little worried about the ground but it was lovely and safe for him and he did it well.  He will mostly likely head to the sales, but I would love to hold on to him as I think an awful lot of him,” said Kildare handler Peter Fahey.

Kruzhlinin, a horse that has been untouchable in each of his point-to-point starts to date, completed the Codd double, when mastering what had seemed on paper to be his toughest test to date, with a decisive eight-length victory in the James Murphy Contracts open.

The Camilla Sharples-owned 12-year-old supplemented his recent wide-margin Tyrella victory with his sixth win of the campaign, leaving him unbeaten between the flags in Ireland, after dismissing last week’s Ballinaboola victor Winged Leader.

“There was some tacky ground around the bottom bend so Jamie (Codd) took his time with him, and once he hit the better ground in the straight he went on and won snug at the end. He will continue pointing and possibly go for a hunter chase later in the spring,” said Simon McGonagle, head lad for winning handler Gordon Elliott.

Sarah Dawson saddled her second winner between the flags this season when Rubiana claimed a somewhat dramatic Greenville Electrical five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

The luckless Lady Maureen was one of two horses to depart at the fourth-last in the six-runner affair, and ultimately it was daughter of Scorpion who returned with two lengths to spare in the hands of Declan Lavery over the Tattersalls Farm seventh Cream Sparkles.

The second mares’ maiden that Dawson has claimed this season, and like her Loughanmore winner from the autumn, Angelic Moon, this five-year-old was also for an owner-breeder, with Anne Wishart the winning owner on this occasion.

“I am delighted for the owners Anne and Andy Wishart who also bred her. The plan was to win a point-to-point and she could head to the track now,” said the winning handler, who had only been touched off at Dundalk on the previous evening with 25/1 shot Magic Sea.

The Lawless family made a worthwhile trip to Kirkistown when Lough Derg Lyric won the John Beers Recovery & Commercial Repairs older maiden.

The six-year-old had run eight times previously under rules for his breeder Pat Coffey, but certainly seemed more at home between the flags at Dungarvan last month, when chasing home Shanacoole on what was just his second outing for the father and son team of Gerard and Brian Lawless, and he stepped-up to deny Colin Bowe a treble on the card, with his newcomer, Goldazar, returning five lengths behind in second.

“We were unfortunate the last day to come up against a very nice horse of Colin Motherway’s.  A lot of credit has to go to my daughter Katie who rides and schools the horse at home.  Brian gave him an excellent ride judging the race from the front and he will probably go for a winner race now,” said the winning handler Gerard Lawless.