McCullagh lands double at Ballinrobe

Niall McCullagh made his visit to Ballinrobe a profitable one this evening when he recorded a double for trainers Phillip Rothwell and Michael Grassick. The former was following up up last night's success at Sligo with Palouse, which was also ridden by McCullagh, when he took the opening Western People Handicap with Trigolden (13/2-6/1). The son of Midish took up the running turning for home and stayed on well to beat Gossie Madera by a length with the favourite Freya two lengths away in third.

"He seems to like tight tracks so we might go to Tralee now. He's matured an awful lot and is a nice horse" commented assistant trainer Niamh Reegan. Dame Alicia provided McCullagh with the second leg of his brace when she made all the running to win the Tote Exacta Maiden by four-and-a-half lengths.

"That's a relief more than anything as she's the ony filly out of the mare, who's now dead. The ground was important for her this evening and we wil try to step her up in class later in the season" said Grassick. Cochis Run (11/2) provided local trainer Michael Flannery with his first winner at the track when won the Cunningham Londis Handicap Chase by three-parts of a length under Ross Geraghty.

"This is my first winner here and my third since taking out a public licence at the start of the year. He had a lot of weight today and that was a worry but Ross gave him a great ride," said Flannery. Barry Geraghty followed up his brother's success when he steered the 7/4 favourite Sum Leader to an easy nine length victroy in the Beginners Chase.

"He'll go for a winners of one next. I don't know if he will go to Galway because all the commotion got to him there last year. He was rated 123 over hurdles and was entitled to win this," said winning trainer Gerry Keane.

Rosehall Girl's success in the 0-80 handicap was very much a family affair as the Pat Morris-trained filly is owned by a syndicate compromised of Morris's family. "She ran last night in Sligo but the ground was too hard and the start was very messy. We fancied her tonight and stayed here yesterday evening", said Morris.

Paul Moloney and Oneofthesimpsons just got the better of David Casey and Blitzy Boy in the 0-109 handicap chase after a titanic battle from the last. Afterwards the winning trainer Pat Carey said that the ten-year-old mare would campaign over hurdles and fences for the remainder of the summer with a handicap chase in Galway the main target.

The concluding Bumper was won by the Jessica Harrington-trained Colca Canyon, which profited from the fall of the challenging Lucky Glen on the final bend. "I'd say we got lucky but I've had a few beaten recently that should hve won" said Harrington.

Filed by Brendan Cole