BONO ON TUNE AT ENNISCORTHY

Ian Fortune

De Bono Lad was at his best at Enniscorthy on Thursday night, running out a tremendous winner of the Michael Donohoe Memorial A1 550. There were also two impressive runs in the semi-finals of the Good Cody @ Stud open Unraced but the headlines had to go to Brendan Sinnott’s De Bono Lad.

BONO MAKES THE MOST OF A RAILS DRAW

After impressing in the semis, Sense Of Humour and Ballinabola Jake were sent to traps the joint favourites at 6-4 and the former set the pace into the corner. De Bono Lad made the most of his inside draw, however, turning a close second alongside Karlow Jacksey.

It was down the back straight that the Anton Butler trained De Bono Lad made his move. Slipping up the inside of the pace-setter to halfway, he quickly moved into a length lead. Ballinabola Jake then started to make his move at the third turn before staying on well to close on De Bono Lad.

De Bono Lad had no intention of letting his lead slip. The son of Broadstrand Bono and Town Penny held on to score by a head from Ballinabola Jake in 30.57. Sense Of Humour was another our lengths adrift in third.

SORREL FINALLY GETS LOOSE

After qualifying in good style, Ballymac Sorrel shook of a couple of luckless runs to open his account in the first semi-final of the Good Cody @ Stud Open Unraced. Trained by Pat Buckley for Cormac and Charlie Doyle, the son of Ballymac Vic and Ballymac Wisdom broke smartly from three and held a narrow lead into the bend.

Left Corner Back was challenging at this point but took a couple of bumps before getting tangled up with Bushpark Rodney. While all this was happening Ballymac Sorrel raced clear of his rivals before staying on strongly to win by eleven lengths in 28.82.

Texas Jack ran on strongly once again to take second with Left Corner Back another two lengths further adrift in third.

FOX AVOIDS TRAFFIC

Scrahan Fox won the second heat by an even wider margin. This was a messy affair with half the field finishing well adrift after bad opening bend traffic.

Instead, Jack Molloy’s Scrahan Fox shot clear of his rivals to eventually cross the line fifteen lengths clear. The son of Coolavanny Hoffa and Carefree Tipp would stop the clock in 29.09 with Ellies Gem in second and Itsjokingiam another length back in third.