Liam Burke’s team are beginning to hit top form and he saddled two winners at the Kildorrery meeting on Sunday whilst 17-year-old Eoin O’Sullivan took the afternoon’s riding honours with the first double of his career, both winners supplied by his father Eugene.
Burke’s pair won in totally contrasting circumstances and his exciting five-year-old Mezendore made it two wins from as many starts in the winners of two. Mikey O’Connor played a waiting game aboard the Avaune maiden winner Mezendore whom he produced on the run to two out to win going away by a length from favourite Fence Me In with Sh Bam back another two and a half lengths in third. “This fellow is a big baby that’s still immature and he really wants nicer ground. We might give him another run in a point before putting him away for the season and chasing will be his game”, said Burke of Mezendore, owned by Swiss national Hans Joerg Zindel.
Another Swiss patron Joerg Vasicek owns Blodge who got Burke off the mark for the afternoon in the Gain Feeds & Rockmills Furnishings five and six-year-old mares’ maiden. Blodge, having a third career start, held all the cards throughout for Richie Harding who left the daughter of former Grade one winning mare Bilboa stride clear approaching the third last to come home an impressive 12-length winner from Easter Bonnie in what was the biggest field of the day. Gerry Ross, stud manager at Vasicek’s Kenilworth House Stud in County Tipperary, said: “We will obviously have to talk to Liam, but maybe this mare will now go to the track”
The O ‘Sullivan’s signed off when The Hollinwell took the honours in the Liam McCarthy & Amber Oil Open lightweight. A four-time track winner for Ferdy Murphy, The Hollinwell’s purple patch continues and he has now has made it four victories this season to date. The 11-year-old son of Classic Cliche was patiently ridden and tracked leader Kellystown Lad throughout the race. Eoin did not ask him to move until the third-last fence where he overtook Capal Dubh Alainn. The Hollinwell was in full flow by now and he left Capal Dubh Alainn for dead at the second last fence and accelerated clear to score with any amount in hand. The Hollinwell may now be Cotswold bound next month as O’Sullivan senior hinted that he will receive an entry for the Cheltenham Foxhunters, a race that he won with Lovely Citizen in 1991.
The first leg of the O’Sullivans’ double was brought up when newcomer Scorpiancer made a stunning winning debut in the Hanley’s Butchers (Pegus Qualifier) five-year-old geldings’ maiden. The son of Scorpion was patiently ridden off the pace until tackling long-time leader Westerner Point at the third last. He then forged clear to finish ten lengths clear of Westerner Point with debutant Kristian Gray running a nice race to finish third. “He’s an aeroplane and I imagine that he will be going to the Cheltenham sale next month”, said handler O’Sullivan of the Tomas Singleton-owned Scorpiancer.
Louis Archdeacon has his team in flying form and, following on from his Tallow success with Winged Express the previous weekend, he took the Bluegrass Seeds & Jonathan O’Grady novice riders confined hunt maiden with seasonal debutante Strong Wind. Ridden by 20-year-old Brendan Crowley, Strong Wind made virtually all only to be challenged on the run to the last by Everest. Second in this race last year, ex-hurdler Strong Wind wasn’t for passing this time and he fought off Everest by a margin of two lengths with Kicking Kate back in third. This win will have proved immensely popular in the Archdeacon household for Strong Wind is owned by his handler’s wife Michelle in partnership with her sister Julie O’Brien.
The concluding race of the day the Dairygold & Rathbarry Stud (Pegus Qualifier) six-year-old gelding’s maiden was won in fine style by Cloughernagh Boy who justified the faith of those that backed the son of Flemensfirth into favouritism. Trained by Robert Widger, who also started off Gordon Elliot’s smart mare Layla Joan in points in the autumn, Cloughernagh Boy set the record straight from his previous fall at December on Dromahane 29th in the hands of Ciaran Fennessy. Cloughernagh Boy was always travelling comfortably on the final circuit and he had the measure of Curraghbower from three out, 13 lengths the winning margin. “I’ve always liked this horse and his half-brother Wind Instrument ran well to finish eighth in a Cheltenham festival bumper (behind Hairy Molly). He will be sold now”, remarked Widger of the Gerard Keane-owned Cloughernagh Boy.
