Milan Forth continues good run of form

Milan Forth continued his upward trajectory to run out a comfortable winner of the Rathronan maiden hunter chase at Clonmel on Wednesday, supplying his regular rider Kevin Healy with his first success over jumps on the racecourse.

Sent off as a 9/2 shot for his first outing under rules having already won three times between the flags this season, the six-year-old kicked on in the back straight when racing alongside one of the joint market leaders Lonesome Boatman.

Kevin Healy’s mount began to get the better of the exchanges with the Punchestown Champion Hunter Chase-third heading into the home straight when going for home.

Although the other joint favourite Magic Sadler travelled strongly into second approaching the penultimate obstacle, Milan Forth was not for stopping, and he was able to maintain his advantage to the line to triumph by three and a quarter lengths.

Lonesome Boatman has just surrendered the runners-up spot when taking a heavy fall at the second-last fence, the same obstacle that also claimed Keeptheoldmanout, but both sets of horses and riders did get to their feet.

That left West Of Carrig to take third, and Fountain House's winning run came to an end as he could only manage fourth.

The victory was second on the racecourse for the winning jockey and grandson of winning owner Patrick Whyte, as he had won a qualified riders handicap on the flat at Dundalk last year.

“He was very good, Simon [Cavanagh] sourced him for my Grandad in Doncaster from the Doyle’s,” Healy said.

“He was a bit free and keen, he can be a bit like that sometimes. He is a nice horse and he always has enough left to get home. He is a good horse.

“He will probably go for another hunter chase, I’d say for the boys in the back of their head is Aintree, we will have to see how things go. He would probably have to go to a winners’ hunter chase to see how he would go.

“It would be lovely to get to Aintree, everyone wants to go there, it would be brilliant.”