Three Maiden Winners For In-Form Soldier Of Fortune
Soldier Of Fortune’s fine run between the flags continued at the weekend, with the Beeches Stud sire responsible for three maiden winners between Dromahane and Necarne.
The Colin McKeever-trained Kerryhill (5g Soldier Of Fortune - Highland Flower, by Oscar) kicked off proceedings when justifying favouritism in the Five-Year-Old Geldings Maiden at Necarne. The Wilson Dennison-owned bay was narrowly denied on debut in November and was ridden to make all by Derek O’Connor on Saturday. Ridden from the second last, he kept on strongly from the final fence to score by a length, with a 20 length gap back to the remainder.
Bred by Mrs Deborah Hobson, Kerryhill will now return to the sales ring to capitalise on his foal price of €65,000.
The progressive Josie Alice (5m Soldier Of Fortune - Thuringe, by Turgeon) completed a quickfire double for her sire on the card when landing the mares’ maiden for Colin Bowe.
Fifth on debut and a close third next time out, the Ronald Brown-bred bay was reunited with Barry O’Neill on Saturday and chased the leaders for much of the way. Leading with four fences left to jump, she kept on well on the run-in to deny a late challenge by a length, with the pair finishing clear of the field.
At Dromahane the following day, the Denis Murphy owned and trained Wilde Side Of Life (5g Soldier Of Fortune - Queens Wild, by Westerner) built on a smart debut to win the five-year-old maiden in good style.
The well-related bay shaped with promise when finishing third to Ballyburn (Flemensfirth) in October and the winner subsequently boosted the form with a winning rules debut at Punchestown for Willie Mullins. Ridden by Joey Dunne in midfield on Sunday, he took closer order from three out and led after the penultimate fence. Four lengths clear at the last, he needed little encouragement to maintain his advantage at the line.
Wilde Side Of Life was bred by Robert Guiry out of his homebred Grade 3 winner Queens Wild (Westerner), who has a three-year-old filly by Order Of St George and a two-year-old by Maxios.