After 21 legs across the country, the 2019 GAIN Mares Series came to a close with the traditional series finale at Ballynoe point-to-point, where it was the Tinahely winner Dime A Dozen who came out on top.
Trained in Co. Carlow by Shark Hanlon, the five-year-old has proven to a thoroughly consistent sort, as she got off the mark following three second-placed efforts, two of which came in four-year-old company at Lisronagh and Tattersalls Farm in the autumn, including behind the recent Sedgefield bumper winner Takingitallin.
That maiden success came at Tinahely in January when she had gotten the better of Sadhbh’s Delight by two lengths on Good ground, and that liking for such conditions really stood to her when re-appearing in the valuable Series Final on Sunday, with the committee having had to water the course on the previous afternoon to counter the drying conditions affecting the country in recent days.
One of four last time out winners in the eight-strong line-up, the daughter of Jeremy made all of the running and began to get the better of the exchanges with her chief rival, Colin Bowe’s three-time winner Fort Worth Texas, approaching the final fence, before staying on strongly in the closing stages to prevail by three lengths in the colours of Rachel O’Neill.
Recent Gowran Bumper-fifth Kalli’s Quest and Ballycahane winner Trumps Ace claimed the third and fourth places.
Big race success for Tom Hamilton came on the Scottish-born rider's first visit to the Cork venue, and the 23-year-old capped off a notable day when going on to win the Listed Bumper at Limerick aboard the John Halley-trained Blackhillsofdakota.
Following the success of Dime A Dozen in the race which carries a €3,000 bonus courtesy of GAIN Equine Nutrition and the Ballynoe point-to-point committee, the winning handler indicated that his charge would now re-appear at the mares point-to-point bumper at Cork over the Easter weekend.
�Congrats to the connections of Dime A Dozen the 🥇winner🥇 of the 2�⃣0�⃣1�⃣9�⃣ #GAINMaresSeries Final! #GAINTheAdvantage pic.twitter.com/rHNpqazYz4
— GAIN EquineNutrition (@GAINEquine) March 31, 2019
