Hunters makes pleasing start over flights

The Neilans from Galway have put plenty of good youngsters through their hands, and they have another nice one in the Medaaly five-year-old, Hunters Call a convincing winner of the opening Welcome To Toomevara GAA Race Day Maiden Hurdle at Naas.

Owned by Michael Ward, Hunters Call, a hurdling debutant, jumped beautifully for Mark Enright, hardly altogether surprising when one considers that the Gowran bumper scorer started off in point-to-points.

He was certainly green when hitting the front but Enright kept him up to the task well after hitting the front from before the last, going on for a five length win over the favourite, MacBride Second in the market, Powder Hound finished a further nine lengths back in third.

"Obviously I was afraid of Powder Hound and MacBride coming here but he was running away with me the whole way," said Enright of the John Neilan-handled Hunters Call.

"I got there a mile too soon and was just giving him a few flicks to keep his mind on the job. I'd say he's a very nice horse."

(GC & EM)