GOWRAN PARK (05 Apr 2006)

Yielding To Soft

4:35 Great Oak Maiden Hurdle (6yo+)

[off 4:36] £4,765.52, £1,110.34, £489.66, £282.76 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Amber Point J T Gorman 6 11-12 t P W Flood 14/1 — —

2 hd Sher Why Not C A Murphy 8 11-9 A J Donoghue(3) 5/4F — —

3 ¾ Youghal Mrs John Harrington 6 11-12 B J Geraghty 11/2 — —

4 8 Ice And Soda C F Swan 6 11-12 D J Casey 12/1 — —

5 2 Another Gale Thomas Mullins 7 11-12 t R M Power 12/1 — —

6 Green Debate (USA) Ms F M Crowley 6 11-12 T G M Ryan 12/1 — —

7 Lugante Mrs John Harrington 6 11-7 T P Treacy 25/1 95 — —

8 Mitchelstown C Roche 8 11-9 Mr J P Magnier(3) 6/1 — —

9 Afterburn Daniel Miley 7 11-4 M P Walsh(3) 20/1 — —

10 Philomel N Dooly 7 11-7 V T Keane 33/1 — —

11 Avoca Mist W P Mullins 6 11-7 R Walsh 10/1 — —

12 Exploring Thomas P O´Connor 7 11-5 S Keating(7) 33/1 — —

13 Twilight Breeze Ruaidhri Joseph Tierney 7 11-2 S E Ryder(5) 33/1 — —

14 Onethingandanother Thomas Mullins 6 11-7 B M Cash 33/1 — —

15 Diolta Do Dhaithi D T Hughes 6 11-7 N J O´Shea(5) 25/1 — —

16 Boscall Hill Matthew A Daly 7 11-5 B S Carey(7) 33/1 — —

17 Almost Famous Paul Nolan 7 11-12 J L Cullen 20/1 — —

18 Liberty Star (GB) P A Fahy 6 11-4 A P Lane(3) 33/1 — —

F Rathvin Raven Michael Aherne 6 11-0 Mr P A King(7) 10/1 95 — —

19 ran TIME 3m 51.90s (slow by 10.90s) TOTAL SP 156%

NON RUNNERS: City Deep ,Cracking Order ,Himself Dreams On ,Pure Beautiful

1st OWNER: Miss M McWey BRED: Horse Breeding Company TRAINER: J T Gorman

2nd OWNER: R Winterbotham

3rd OWNER: Cathal M Ryan

TOTE WIN £9.50 PL £1.90, £1.10, £1.60, £3.80; Ex £78.20; CSF £37.46

After a stewards' inquiry, the placings remained unaltered.

ANALYSIS: Contesting his fourth start over hurdles this year AMBER POINT led over the penultimate flight and did enough on the run-in to upset the well-backed favourite who did his chance s no favours when running around in the closing stages. The benefit of those three previous starts over jumps and the better surface certainly helped the winner with chasing next season on the agenda but Sher Why Not failed to build on his encouraging initial jumps outing.

The former Punchestown bumper winner last October was beaten just over three lengths by Vintage Gold at Leopardstown in his hurdling bow last January and after making headway from the third last held every chance turning for home. He wandered about the place approaching two out losing some momentum until staying on under pressure when the penny dropped. Although not the easiest of rides on this evidence he looks capable of getting his head in front before long.

Easy to back Youghal held every chance approaching the last but didn't enjoy the clearest of passages on the run-in when asked for his effort while Ice And Soda, nibbled at in the ring weakened when the race developed after racing prominently.

Another Gale led into the straight but was another going nowhere while Green Debate kept on without ever threatening after been slightly hampered by a grounded rider after jumping the second last. He won a Cork bumper in 2004 and this was more encouraging on his third start over jumps.

Heavy

3:50 N.I. Childrens' Hospice Maiden Hurdle (Div I) (5yo+)

[off 3:50] £4,765.52, £1,110.34, £489.66, £282.76 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Wheresben Seamus Fahey 7 11-5 Mr J A Fahey(7) 9/10F 101 112+

2 2 Mitchelstown C Roche 8 11-12 A P Crowe 11/2 98 108

3 7 Youghal Mrs John Harrington 6 11-12 B J Geraghty 10/1 89 106+

4 1 Will Jamie Run S J Mahon 5 11-7 T G M Ryan(3) 20/1 85 98

5 25 Dante Hall T Stack 5 11-10 W J Lee 8/1 51 73

6 Chiltai Mervyn Torrens 5 11-10 N P Madden 50/1 — —

7 Miracle Millie Noel Meade 6 11-0 Mr J P McKeown(7) 14/1 — —

8 Unicorn Reward D T Hughes 6 11-9 R Loughran(3) 8/1 97 — —

9 Sams Lad S Donohoe 5 11-10 Andrew J McNamara 8/1 — —

10 Artic Rover T F Lacy 6 11-12 D J Condon 50/1 — —

11 Dick White Thomas Cooper 7 11-12 D N Russell 16/1 — —

12 Dromin Hill Echo C Byrnes 5 11-3 M P Butler(7) 20/1 — —

13 Themasondixonline T J O´Mara 6 11-12 W Slattery 20/1 — —

14 Matthew Anthony J F Tormey 10 11-12 S P McCann 25/1 — —

15 More Sport Kieran P Cotter 8 11-12 G Cotter 20/1 — —

16 Madformakeup A J Martin 6 11-7 D J Howard 10/1 — —

17 Droichead Bineid R Donohoe 5 11-2 S G McDermott(3) 25/1 — —

18 Cracking Order Donal Hassett 7 11-12 J R Barry 16/1 — —

19 Five Years On S J Mahon 5 11-10 P W Flood 20/1 — —

20 Mount Clair Lady J A O´Connell 5 11-5 T P Treacy 20/1 — —

20 ran TIME 4m 18.20s (slow by 40.20s) TOTAL SP 178%

NON RUNNERS: For Clodagh ,Hit The Target ,Whitsbury Cross (GB)

1st OWNER: Mrs T Gillson BRED: Miss Mary Condon TRAINER: Seamus Fahey

2nd OWNER: Mrs Noeleen Roche

3rd OWNER: Cathal M Ryan

TOTE WIN £1.50 PL £1.10, £1.40, £2.20, £2.40; Ex £4.10; CSF £9.02

ANALYSIS: WHERESBEN. a dual bumper winner last season, came good on his second start over hurdles in a race where not many of the contestants managed to get involved. He travelled well for a long way and eased to the front early in the straight, but the determined Mitchelstown gave him plenty to think about. However, Wheresben asserted close home to score. This was his first start since November - he picked up an injury on his previous start - and there should be improvement to come. Trainer Seamus Fahey said that future targets would be dictated by soft ground and that he may step up to two and a half miles.

Mitchelstown performed creditably on his first start since September 2003. After racing prominently, he ran on well under pressure to dispute the lead at the last but he just found the winner too strong. A formerly smart bumper horse, he can be expected to improve on this and won't have to wait long to get off the mark over hurdles.

Youghal produced an encouraging effort on his first run since May and this was more like the form he showed when fifth to In Compliance in a Fairyhouse bumper in November 2004. He didn't help his chances when none too fluent at the last two flights but still shaped with promise.

Will Jamie Run held second place coming to the third-last but was unable to raise his effort from the next. He showed ability in bumpers and this was a solid start to his hurdling career.

Dante Hall ran respectably but having raced in touch he was unable to make any further inroads from before the straight.

Chiltai didn't fare at all badly after trying to make all the running.