“HE’s made money for everyone,” was the comment of Gemma Phelan, who had the satisfaction of seeing a horse she bred, Country Mile, win the bumper at Huntington on Easter Money on his first racecourse start.

Dungarvan-based Gemma, who is still probably better-known as a breeder and/or producer of young sport horses, consigned Country Mile “as a lovely foal” to the 2019 Goffs November National Hunt sale. He was knocked down for €17,000 to none other than the Fenlon family of Brandon View Stud who, too, breed both thoroughbreds and sport horses.

When it came to the son of Ocovango being sold on, the bay came up at the 2022 Derby Sale at Tattersalls Ireland, where he was purchased for €26,000 by Charlie and Francesca Poste, who are among the top trainers of young point-to-point horses in Britain. He had just the one run for them, finishing second in a four-year-old maiden at Chaddesley Corbett in early December 2023, having made a bad mistake at the second last fence.

Another trip to the sales ring quickly followed for Country Mile who, at Cheltenham, was purchased for £80,000 by bloodstock agent Ryan Mahon, then acting for the horse’s present trainer, Dan Skelton. The latter’s brother Harry partnered the 2/1 favourite to a four and a quarter length success on Monday.

Gemma still has the winner’s dam, Uncatchable, who ran a handful of times without success for Dot Love and Ciaran Murphy, the latter finishing second on her one day at Tyrella. Having failed to sell the mare’s 2020 produce, a colt by Kingston Hill, as a foal at Goffs, she held on to him until he was three when he was consigned to the 2023 May Sale at Tattersalls Ireland, where he was knocked down to Co Wexford point-to-point trainer Harley Dunne for €6,500.

Unless there is a change of policy at both Goffs and Tatts, there will be no appearance in either sales ring for Uncatchable’s yearling colt, as he is by a son of Luidam. “She was just difficult to get in foal, which is why I went down that route, but she is going back to a thoroughbred stallion this season,” said Phelan, who has three other thoroughbred mares, as well as sport horse breeding stock at her Beechfield Stables.

Also on Monday, Dale Adams, who reports in Irish Horse World on the Equijump ponies/children on horses spring tour, bred a winner at Plumpton, El Muchacho, who justified 15/8 favouritism in the two-mile, one-furlong novices’ handicap chase.

This was a first win over fences to go with two over hurdles for the now Harriet Dickin-trained seven-year-old Walk In The Park gelding. The grey, who is out of the Turgeon mare La Segnora (whose eight wins included a Grade 1 hurdle at Auteuil), also won a point-to-point maiden at Stradbally in April 2022 on the second of two starts for Co Wexford trainer Michael Goff.

The following race at Plumpton, the bumper, was won by the Affinisea mare Bluey who was making her track debut on her first run for English trainer, Emma Lavelle. When she landed her point-to-point maiden last time out at Carrigarostig in mid-January, the five-year-old bay ran in the colours of The Irish Field’s sales and marketing executive, Robyn Codd, whose father-in-law, Billy Codd, trained the all-the-way winner.