THE ODDS on Charlie’s Vic were 1 to 4 and things went fairly much to script for Noel Kelly’s charge in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Mares Novice Hurdle at Downpatrick yesterday.
Derek Fox let the chestnut daughter of Old Vic stride on from halfway and she was in total control from the third last to see off Nanna Maura by four lengths.
“That was straight-forward enough. I was just a bit worried that it came a bit soon after her last run . . . she’s still young and being by Old Vic she probably won’t mature fully until she gets older,” said Kelly.
“She’ll get one more run before being let off for the summer,” he added.
Leighinmohr made it three from three (all in different codes) when beating outsider Carsonstown Bridge by a head in the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.
Leighinmohr exploited the mistake by Carsonstown Bridge at the last with the winner, under Ben Dalton, just edging things at the death.
Market-leader Seriatim didn’t seem to handle the track and had to settle for third place.
Ian Ferguson, who trains Leighinmohr for Ballymena Meats Partnership, said: “He won a point-to-point last year and we took him to Musselburgh for better ground.”
The Paul Carberry-ridden Oscar Hill scored an easy victory in the Roadhouse Pub Novice Handicap Hurdlewhile Undone got the better of the front-running Sky Pilot in a dour conclusion to the Bet With The Bookies Maiden Hurdle.
Sporting the Gigginstown House Stud silks, Mikey Doran had to get serious with the Paul Nolan-trained Undone, but in the end the five-year-old pulled out that bit extra to beat Sky Pilot by half a length.