'My horses have been under the weather recently' - Risky Obsession changes fortunes for handler Matty Flynn O’Connor

Star performance: Frost Moon showed great guts to stick her head down when it mattered in a tight three-way finish

Owner-trainer Matty Flynn O’Connor returned from a recent spell in the doldrums by sending out newcomer Risky Obsession to win the first division of the Goffs Spring Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden under Brian Lawless.

The No Risk At All gelding disputed the running on the inner virtually throughout with fellow debutant Stenka Razin until edging ahead approaching the last.

Risky Obsession then held on grimly inside the final 75 yards as runner-up Cool Customer closed to within a head at the line in what was the closest finish of the afternoon. 

Flynn O’Connor said: “My horses have been under the weather recently and hopefully they have turned the corner. I’m now looking forward to getting more of the youngsters out over the next few weeks.”

The €70 000 Goffs Arkle sale acquisition, a half-brother to the American Listed-placed chaser Ask Paddington and a close relation to Grade 1 RSA Chase winner Trabolgan, will be sold.

“He’s a nice big horse that has always been doing everything right and he’ll now go to the Punchestown sale.”

Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill combined for a hat-trick with the Kiltealy-based handler also saddling a one-two in all three races.

The pair opened their account with newcomer Frost Moon in the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P and Horses in Training Sale, Mag and Noel Long and Hickey’s Bar Mount Uniacke four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Frost Moon came from well off the pace in this 13-runner contest and, although erring two out, the €62,000 Derby sale graduate readily picked up to lead from the last to beat Push Push by a neck in a race that saw just two lengths cover the first four home.

“She’s a good tough filly that’s also very scopey. I think that she has a nice future and she will now hopefully go to the Punchestown sale,” Bowe said of the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd-owned Frost Moon, a Wings Of Eagles-sired half-sister to Grade 3 placed hurdler Lion In His Heart.

The formidable combination recorded the middle leg with Speculateur, who pulled up on his Daramona House debut last month, in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Colin Bowe: saddled the first and second in three racesCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Speculateur benefited from the second-last departure of leader Pierrot, the victorious grey then forging clear to beat newcomer Robyn’s Jet by an increasing nine lengths.

“This fellow came out of France as a two-year-old and will now be retained with a view to going to a trainer to run on the racetrack,” Bowe of the No Risk At All-sired winner, a half-brother to the French Grade 1-placed steeplechasing mare Kapkiline.

Bowe and O’Neill signed off with Detroit Maverick in the Hurley five-year-old geldings’ maiden. He stepped forwards from his fourth at Lingstown last month by making smooth progress from the rear on the final circuit and he had moved through to dispute with

Christy’s Chief approaching two out. With the latter running out, the winning son of Flemensfirth came clear on the run-in to win by three lengths from Devilsrollthedice.

Matt Gahan brought his career tally to three on Mick Goff’s five-year-old Passing Diamond in the East Cork Oil winners-of-one. He avenged his second-placed effort at Taylorstown 11 days earlier by leading from three out to beat long-time leader Ebenezer Scrooge by three lengths.

Ex-handicap hurdler The Rebel County went one better than he did on his points debut at Dromahane on April 6 by asserting from the second-last under handler Garrett Ahern’s son Josh in the T & M Fitzgerald, Greentech Renewable Heating and Plumbing adjacent hunts maiden to beat Vodka Splash by 13 lengths.

Recent Lisronagh third Dear Freya was on top from before two out with Luke Burke Ott in the Ahern’s Centra and Mark Landers Financial Services five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden to beat newcomer Prized Jet by five and a half lengths.

The five-year-old Dear Freya is trained by her rider’s father Alex Ott for Ballinhassig-based breeder Eamonn Grainger.

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