THE rescheduled Moig South fixture witnessed extremely testing underfoot conditions but that proved no hindrance to the Sam Curling-owned/trained Dom Of Mary, who impressed by winning the four-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Pa King.

Dom Of Mary, having made a pleasing debut by coming fifth to the impressive Jim Key at Lisronagh in November, was always positioned at the head of affairs with Casey West, and the pair looked set to dominate the race as they rounded the turn into the home straight before the final fence. Casey West however slipped up on this bend and the winning French-bred was always in command thereafter.

Dom Of Mary, to his credit, still picked up readily by lengthening clear on the ascent to the line to beat newcomer Chato Santana by eight lengths while Forpaddytheplumber posted a debut effort rich in promise by returning a further head adrift in third spot.

Curling reported of Dom Of Mary, a son of Apple’s Jade’s sire Saddler Maker that was acquired for €20,000 at the 2019 Goffs Land Rover Sale: “He’s a lovely horse that came on a lot from his Lisronagh run and he worked well during the week. He will probably now be sold.”

Casey West’s handler Colin Bowe and rider Barry O’Neill later attained a measure of recompense as they combined to capture the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, a race that the Milestone Stables operator and colleague Aidan Fitzgerald jointly sponsored, with Sempione Park.

On what was his sixth career start, the previously twice-placed Sempione Park moved through to dispute the running on the approach to the third-last.

The winning son of Milan held a slender advantage over the patiently ridden Corey Lord on the approach to the last, one that he maintained to the line to account for Eoin O’Brien’s mount by a neck in what was the closest finish of the afternoon. Described as an honest horse by O’Neill, Sempione Park will now contest a winners’ race.

There was a major upset in the mares’ open as the Peter Flood-trained Save Us Avis recorded a clear-cut front-running success at the expense of last month’s Fairyhouse mares’ hunters chase winner Rose Milan. Save Us Avis disputed the running with The Burly Sue until edging into a narrow advantage setting out on the final circuit. The winning daughter of Mahler, representing breeders Dermot and Fergal Mulvihill, took a couple of lengths out of Rose Milan and Chapter Two after two out.

While Rose Milan reduced the deficit on the run to the last, she couldn’t raise her effort in the closing stages and she duly returned a length adrift of the winning eight-year-old.

Save Us Avis was providing rider Paul Bannon with a second success of the campaign and the Skryne native now works alongside handler Flood.

THE Eamonn Gallagher-trained Dancing Dani continued the terrific run of James Hannon by providing the Tallow amateur with another winner in the five-year-old mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the day with nine runners.

Dancing Dani, having made an excellent return to action by finishing third to Melanamix at Dromahane last month, disputed the running with Clonmoyle until establishing a narrow advantage from before three out.

Clonmoyle actually headed Dancing Dani well before the last, but the eventual winner is nothing but tough and she reassumed command at this final fence.

It was all plain sailing thereafter as the triumphant daughter of Stowaway, owned by Gallagher’s mother Josephine, forged clear to dispose of the staying-on Judy’s Girl by six lengths.

Gallagher, whose previous winner came courtesy of subsequent Gigginstown House Stud acquisition Idas Boy in a Dromahane five-year-old geldings’ maiden in April 2019, will now target Dancing Dani at a winners’ race.

The Cormac Doyle-trained The Real Jet showed the necessary improvement from her third-placed Borris House debut effort last month by grinding it out best with Jack Hendrick to oblige from She’s So Lovely in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Real Jet and She’s So Lovely were vying for supremacy from after four out with Barry O’Neill being the first to resort to his whip on the runner-up before the last.

She’s So Lovely was then always fighting a losing battle as the victorious white-faced daughter of Jet Away, sporting the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership silks, asserted to score by two and a half lengths, with the pair returning 15 lengths clear of the third-placed newcomer Gentle And Kind.

The Real Jet, who comes from the family of Double Symphony and Orchestra, was well bought for €9,000 at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland May Sale.

IT proved a real red-letter afternoon for 19-year-old Monasterevin native Conor Smithers, who works full-time with Denis Murphy, as he recorded a first career success aboard the Edward Creighton-trained Dubai Dandy in the closing older geldings’ maiden for novice riders.

Dubai Dandy, who finished second no less than six times previously, was always close to the pace. With newcomer Keeffelee slipping up on the turn into the home straight when mounting a challenge and taking the closing Definiteadare with him, Dubai Dandy made his way to the front at the last. He was always in command on the flat as he stormed clear to dismiss Skylanna Scatman by eight lengths in the colours of his joint-breeder Gerard Ryan, a dairy-farmer from Cappawhite.

Horse to follow

Forpaddytheplumber (A. Fitzgerald): This newcomer by Ask is out of an own-sister to Grade 1 winner Forpadydeplasterer, and he finished a more than creditable third in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, having only been narrowly beaten for second.