Hyde family land quickfire four-year-old double at Rathcannon

Rathcannon on Sunday provided what I reckon to be the safest ground we have raced on all season. The track was really well prepared. A lot of work had gone into it, and the committee deserves credit.

The four-year-old maiden was divided. Both were won in the colours of the Hyde family for different trainers. I rode the Sam Curling-trained Dundrum Wood in the first division, and really liked this Flemensfirth gelding who was well fancied on the strength of a good introduction at Dromahane in the spring. His dam won two of his three chase starts at around two miles for Tim Vaughan, and is from the family of Jodami, so there's a mixture of speed and stamina in the pedigree.

Enda Bolger trained the other Hyde winner, Saint Benedict, who quickened away well from my mount, the Fran Flood-trained Happygolucky, to score by four lengths under Ray Barron. The winner is by Milan and should be popular at the sales, since he's a half-brother to J'y Vole, a fine mare who had her biggest moment when beating Big Zeb in the Grade 1 Dr PJ Moriarty Chase Chase for Willie Mullins.