Few would have envied those racing at Ballinrobe tonight with 'fair-weather' punters able to view the racing from their TV screens. However, John Oxx's Balyan (4/7 favourite) did brighten up the day when trouncing ten rivals in the Ireland's Lake District Maiden.
The Aga Khan owned winner was prominent throughout before jockey Fran Berry eased to the front over half a mile out, eventually having little difficulty accounting for Fiina by seven lengths.
The opening Ballinrobe Race Committee Handicap went to James Burns' Mrs St George. The winner made rapid headway to lead inside the final furlong, eventually beating Erra Go On by a length and a half.
Burns later stated 'we have been waiting for a long while to win but she is a lovely, genuine filly. She'll go for something similar now.'
Caroline Hutchinson's Curtistown finally got her head in front where it matters most when overcoming three runner-up efforts to add the Rathcarren Handicap to her only previous win, at Down Royal in September 2002.
Hutchinson reported that the daughter of Elbio 'didn't appear to stay the seven furlongs recently and is possibly better over six furlongs.' Jockey Cathy Gannon has now ridden eighteen winners this season and already looks the rider to beat in the apprentice jockeys' championship.
The Galway Bay FM Maiden went to the Edward Lynam's Imperial Conquest who made all under Declan McDonogh. Lynam later reported 'it's good to get a race like this and the withdrawal of the favourite (Cils - refused to laod) helped a lot. She'll go for a handicap now.'
Trainer Enda Kelly saddled his first winner at Clonmel last Thursday and doubled his total tonight when Sauterelle landed her second Claiming Race in five days.
Partnered by Declan McDonogh, the winner hit the front at the furlong pole and eventually won by three parts of a lengths with Kelly reporting that 'Sauterelle will now be given a few weeks rest and will be prepared for a handicap at The Curragh in August.' He added 'Declan gave her a super ride and switched her off early on.'
A handicap at Galway is on the agenda for Michael Halford's Mr Jayjay who ran out the comfortable four and a length winner of the 1m1f (40-70) handicap under Tadhg O'Shea. Halford later reported 'he loves this type of sharp track while he handled the ease in the ground.'
The heavy rain eventually took its toll on the ground description, which was changed to yielding after Mr Jayjay's success.
Later in the evening, the opening division of the two mile handicap almost produced a bizarre result with Rooftop Protest's jockey Rory Cleary riding a finish a circuit too soon.
Infact Rooftop Protest was unlucky not to make every post a winning one, eventually giving best inside the final furlong to the challenges of South West Nine and Reve De Rose, with the latter winning by a short head for promising apprentice Jerry O'Dwyer and trainer Harry Rogers.
According to Rogers, the winner will 'mix it between hurdles and Flat handicaps.'
Trainer Peter McCreevy and jockey Colm O'Donoghue landed the concluding division of the two mile handicap with Load And Lock.
Thomas Weekes.
