AT Naas last Thursday week, when Pat O’Hare and Franco Hughes were among the bookmakers who sponsored races, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF mares’ maiden hurdle was won by the Liam McKenna-ridden Fiver Friday, who was having her first start over jumps and her first run since mid-October last year.

A five-year-old daughter of The Gurkha, the bay is trained at Nutts Corner by farrier Paul Traynor who has a mixed yard, including point-to-pointers, and is planning a flat campaign for Fiver Friday over the summer months although she will more than likely run over hurdles at the Punchestown Festival.

The Naas winner is the only horse Paul is presently training for Co Tryone owner Philip Gilmore on whose behalf she was purchased at Goffs Sportsman’s Sale in 2021 by Kevin Ross Bloodstock. One of the best horses Philip has bred, Mia’s Storm, was also a mare (by September Storm – Letitia’s Gain, by Zaffaran) who, following her victory in a Loughanmore maiden in 2015 on her only start for Gilmore and Stuart Crawford, went on to win six hurdle races and two chases (including two listed contests) for Alan King.

Hunk the hero

On Friday, the Pat McKenna-trained, Patrick McGettigan-ridden Hezahunk, a 50/1 shot, made all to win the six-furlong handicap at Dundalk in the colours of the Canter Club Syndicate, while I have to thank Natalia Lupini for giving me a much-needed winning Nap when Craig Bryson’s Saint Brandon justified 5/2 favouritism in the seven-furlong handicap at Cork on Sunday.

Also on the flat, but on the breeding front, there were wins for the Ivan and Eileen Heanan-bred six-year-old gelding Bungle Inthedesert (Bungle Inthejungle – Dubai Pearl, by Refuse To Bend) at Dundalk on Friday, for the Brian and Ann Marie Kennedy-bred four-year-old filly Emerald Harmony (Soldier’s Call – Green Chorus, by Oratorio) at Bellewstown on Saturday, for the Siobhan Tolerton-owned and bred seven-year-old mare Step Back In Time (Footstepsinthesand – Gift Of Time, by Cadeaux Genereux) at Navan on Tuesday and for the Andrew McNally-bred four-year-old gelding Ziggy’s Missile (Blue Point – Shafaani, by Green Desert) at Nottingham on Wednesday.

Over jumps, the Michael and Leonard Cave-bred seven-year-old gelding Giacosa (Shantou – Ma Pretention, by Great Pretender) won at Compiegne on Monday.

THE David Christie yard did its bit to prevent a southern rout at last Saturday’s Newry Hunt point-to-point at Taylorstown by sending out two battling winners, although both were partnered by Co Wexford’s Barry O’Neill.

First up, John Hegarty and Jenny O’Kane’s Vaucelet returned from a 139-day absence to record his first win since the end of 2022 when landing the Boyds Stores open by a head while the following Lynda Hughes memorial winners of one went by a short-head to Christie’s own King In The Park.

We had to look across the water to find any other even slightly Northern-connected winners and did so at Tabley on Sunday.

The Barney O’Hare-bred 11-year-old gelding Buzzard Trix (Court Cave – Present Trix, by Presenting) won the opening Level 2 conditions race at that venue under Amber Jackson-Fennell.

On ground described as good to firm, firm in places, there were three runners in the first and in the concluding two-and-a-half-mile maiden plus two in the Level 2 PPORA conditions race.

There was a walkover in the mixed open, while not one horse was declared for the restricted or the veteran/novice riders’ race.

HOPEFULLY there will be some locally-trained winners at tomorrow’s Fibrus Family Race Day at Down Royal as there were none last year.

Co Tyrone-born jockey Simon Torrens saved the day by recording a double which he initiated in the two-and-a-half-mile beginners chase on Dreal Deal who, trained in Co Meath by John McConnell, then ran for a quartet comprising well-known local owners Mark Devlin and Nigel O’Hare plus Philip Smyth and Claire Wylie.

The 10-year-old Arvico gelding is now in Devlin’s sole ownership and carried his colours into 10th place in last Friday’s 30-runner Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase over the National fences. Like the big race itself, that two-mile, five-furlong premier handicap was won by a horse trained by Willie Mullins, who was invariably seen in the company of his good friend, bloodstock agent Harold Kirk, who doesn’t live too far from Down Royal.

As the winner of the general admission tickets donated by Down Royal for the volunteers’ draw at the Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day event at Tyrella last Saturday, we hope that Chris Kennedy and her guest enjoy the day.

NEXT weekend, the annual two-day East Antrim Easter meeting takes place at Loughanmore, a fixture which, in 2005, was held on Monday and Tuesday, March 28th and 29th.

There were eight races on day one and eight different winning riders, a couple of whom are still race-riding today. Gordon Elliott landed the opening winners of two on Wanganui, Brian Hamilton won the mares’ open with Calouteene and the divisions of the seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden were won by Noel McParlan (Justwhat) and Mark O’Hare (Drineevar).

J.D. Moore rode Didier to victory in the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, Willie Rankin partnered Glen Harley to success in the four and five-year-old mares’ maiden while the divisions of the older mares’ maiden went the way of the James Gault-ridden Cranfield Bay and the Derek O’Connor-partnered Kiria Madam who made all to justify favouritism by one and a half lengths.

O’Connor and O’Hare recorded a double apiece on the Tuesday. The former landed the winners of one on Fortriver and the six-year-old and upwards maiden with Ballyedgar while O’Hare’s wins came on Huncheon Paddy in the open and Wonderkid in the first division of the four and five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Division two was won by Robbie McNally with King Knaopolis, Liz Doyle landed the opening confined hunt race on Etchebar and fellow Co Wexford native Jason Fortune claimed the mares’ winners of two riding One Love.

Ten years later and the Monday/Tuesday format was still in play on April 6th and 7th 2015 when, on soft ground on day one and good to yielding going on day two, the largest fields were in mares’ races.

On the Monday, there were 10 starters in the mares’ open won by Liz Lalor on Carrigeen Acebo while the other winning riders were Deckie Lavery with Lucky Pass (four-year-old geldings’ maiden), Noel McParlan on Mia’s Storm (five-year-old mares’ maiden), Derek O’Connor with A Plein Temps (five-year-old geldings’ maiden), who was trained by Colin McKeever for landowner Wilson Dennison, Neil Gault on Gonal (winners of one) and Barry O’Neill on Mighty Leader (older geldings’ maiden).

Lucky Pass won on debut at Loughanmore in 2015 before going on to be unbeaten in his three starts for Gigginstown House Stud \ Healy Racing

O’Neill landed the first two races on the Tuesday with Crosslanes (four-year-old mares’ maiden) and Mister To Mister (adjacent hunts). Noel McParlan posted his second win of the Easter fixture in the winners of three on Mr Bolt, while Derek O’Connor did so in the open on Chosen Dream, trained by Graham McKeever for the late Peggy Hagan, who loved this meeting. Mark Lynch landed the six-year-old geldings’ maiden on Charlie Mon and Maxine O’Sullivan rounded off the meeting when winning the 17-runner six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden on Twenty Four Years.