THERE were great celebrations in Lowry’s Bar in Clifden, Co Galway, last Sunday when a racehorse named after the pub won on its debut at Wincanton. Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the equine Lowry’s Bar was backed from 16/1 to 2/1 and got up late to win by half a length.

Bryan Murphy of the Dunraven Arms Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick, was able to fill us in on the background. “I bought the horse as a foal from Michael Condon in Conna. We decided to keep him and put him in training with Sam Curling, and he finished second in a point-to-point at Knockanard on his only start.

“My daughter Slaney is married to Damien Joyce, whose family own Lowry’s Bar in Clifden. I joked with Damien this horse would make the pub famous and I believe all the locals joined in the gamble. They already have a photograph of the horse on display in the bar.”

Bryan has a long history of providing top class horses to Philip Hobbs. Thyme Hill, One Knight and Whatsupboys are just three that spring to mind. The tradition has continued with Lowry’s Bar, who is the first horse sourced for the Somerset yard since Johnson White joined Hobbs on the licence.

“Johnson’s daughter Molly was staying at the hotel last February and she came to Knockanard to see the horse run that day. Molly was at Wincanton last Sunday too and the result gave her a great boost as she is recovering from a broken hip.”

The win was also a tonic for joint-owner Alastair Scrimgeour, who has been in poor health recently. The form of that Knockanard point-to-point is working out well, so watch out for the winner, Denemethy, now trained by Fergal O’Brien.