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You are > Home > Afternoon of drama at Ballinaboola
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02 February 2012
Afternoon of drama at Ballinaboola
IT WAS day for wellies and brollies as the mixture of muck and rain never relented.
But the conditions were a minor irritant at the Wexford Hunt point-to-point at Moorfield, Ballinaboola, last Sunday, where the drama and standard was top drawer in all of the eight contests held during a well attended afternoon.
The finish of the mare’s race was the battle of the neighbours from Doonooney, Adamstown, Patrick Fortune (represented by Lastchanceforlisa, trained by Colin Bowe and ridden by Barry O’Neill) and Paul Barden (represented by Feisty Lass, trained by Brian Jordan, Rathangan, and ridden by Benny Walsh) – their holdings are separated by a field or two! – and only a neck separated them with Feisty Lass getting up in the dying strides to take the honours.
Barry O’Neill was one of the local jockeys who enjoyed a double success and he got one on the board in the opening race – the maiden for five year geldings – when getting Cottiers Den home by half a length and another winner for national champion handler, Colin Bowe.
Owned by Deirdre Bowe, wife of Jay Bowe, junior, Bunclody, Cottiers Den’s future career could be elsewhere as he heads for the Cheltenham Sales.
There was a frightening incident at the penultimate fence in this race when Doubledisdoubledat fell, his jockey Pa King got his foot trapped in the stirrup and he was dragged a considerable distance, but fortunately he escaped with a painful leg and a shaking and was stood down for the rest of the day.
Barry O’Neill had several placed mounts, but his double came aboard the Paul Nolan trained Batiatus in the Winners of Three race.
A faller at the last when in contention over this track in November, the Barry Connell owned gelding made no mistake this time and showed a good turn of foot at the finish with two lengths to spare.
James Nolan, representing his brother who was at Leopardstown, said Barry had kept Batiatus as “a fun horse and would be aimed at a Punchestown race over the banks.”
Ashleigh Murphy who trains in the Duncormick area didn’t mind the rain as she trained a nice double, both very well ridden by Gary Murphy, Wellingtonbridge.
First up was in the six year old geldings race with Popaflora, who led for the full three miles and gave an exhibition of jumping. “He is a huge horse. The ground suits him and he is a great jumper,” said Ashleigh.
Popaflora’s owner, John Anthony Dollard, is from Fairyhouse, Co. Meath, but Ashleigh’s double came with Ballyadam Boy in the second division of the maiden race for older horses, running in the colours of her husband, Michael.
“He’ll go for a Winner of One. He loved the ground,” that was the comment of Shay Slevin, Kiltrea, Enniscorthy, after his son, J.J. gave Subtitle an outstanding ride to take the first division of the maiden race for six year old geldings, running in the colours of Michelle Ryan, who is a warehouse owner in Athlone.
The star of the show was the odds-on favourite, Vic Venturi, now unbeaten in three point-to-point runs, who has a handicap chase, the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ and the Aintree Grand National on the agenda, certainly an ambitious plan for trainer Dessie Hughes and his Kilkenny owner, Seamus Dunne.
Vic Venturi had to pull out all the stops under Robbie MacNamara to repel the strong challenge of Penny’s Bill and Mighty John McGee in a thrilling Open Lightweight contest.
The dream success came in the first division of the maiden race for older geldings.
The rain was pelting down at this stage and the 16-runner field was being decimated as the race progressed, but Barry O’Neill was blazing a trail at the head of the field on the favourite, Star Wars, when he slipped up on the final bend and brought down another horse, leaving three to complete the course.
One man’s misfortune was another’s lucky star and 40 years old Derek Kelly from Bray, Co. Wicklow, was delighted to win easily on Illicit Encounter.
Derek has just one horse in his care and is the owner and trainer and this was his first success in all three codes, albeit a bit of a surprise, for the enthusiastic jockey who rides out for Prunella Dobbs near Enniskerry.
Despite the heavy conditions, which grew worse as the meeting progressed, the pace was fast and a number of winners relished the softer ground.
Getting the cars and horseboxes from the car park was a real challenge for the organisers, but they had a large and efficient number on duty with plenty of tractors to assist, and patrons had no cause for concern as they left the track at around 4pm.
Despite the weather the fixture went off like clockwork and was completed in good time, and once again, the Wexford Hunt can be grateful to the landowners – the Robertson family, Templeshelin, and the Kavanagh family, Moorfields – because there was a flood of positive reaction towards the suitability of the track with some describing it as “one of the best anywhere in the country” and few will disagree.
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