WITH no local point-to-point last weekend, owners and trainers had to travel out of the northern region with their runners and one individual who saw his own colours carried to success on one of his charges was Paul Bailie.

The winner in question was Boldplay who, in the hands of the trainer’s good friend William Hamilton, landed the Gain Series mares’ maiden at Tattersalls by two lengths on her fifth start for Broughshane-based Bailie between the flags.

The Malinas six-year-old had one run for Stuart Crawford in a Christmas bumper at Down Royal in 2024, one in a Downpatrick bumper in May last year when trained by Harry Smyth and, when unseating her rider in a maiden hurdle at the same venue two months later, the chesnut was in care of Paul Traynor.

On the same day, but down in Co Waterford at Curraghmore, the concluding winners of one went to the Nicole Lockhead Anderson-ridden Colvin, who was the only finisher from six starters.

The seven-year-old Yeats ran eight times on the track and nine times in point-to-points when trained by Stuart Crawford, who saddled the bay to win his maiden at Loughanmore just over a year ago.

Bred by Peter Boyd, Colvin is the fifth of seven recorded foals out of the Craigsteel mare Catleen, who carried Boyd’s colours to victory twice over hurdles when trained by Crawford.

While most are well aware of Crawford’s former life as an international event rider, Boldplay was a first winner for Co Galway-based Mark Byrne who is also well-known in the show jumping world.

Adding to the connections between racing and other equestrian disciplines, the race at Curraghmore was sponsored by MBF Sporthorses, who have a dozen or so three and four-year-olds heading to the upcoming Goresbridge Go For Gold select event horse sale in Co Wexford (November 9th to 11th).

Succesful week for Kidd breeding

WE’VE credited Gail Kidd for breeding winners in recent weeks, but this time it’s her husband John who gets the plaudits as he bred a winner at Galway on Monday and another at Bangor on Tuesday.

The west of Ireland winner was the Paul Gilligan-trained Rockonfamouslee who, at odds of 16/1, landed the concluding bumper by half a length on his racecourse debut, providing his rider, the trainer’s son Ollie, with his first success on the track.

The Kap Rock bay, who unseated his rider at the last when lying third in four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballindenisk in May on his only start between the flags, is the first of four foals out of the unraced Famous Name mare Famouslee, who is a half-sister to three winners over hurdles and comes from the family of Promalee, Michael Mor and Little Owl. Famouslee’s April foal by Success Days comes up as Lot 461 at the upcoming November National Hunt Sale at Tattersalls Ireland.

Coming up from the Kidds’ Ballyash Stud as Lot 278 is an April-foaled Storm The Stars colt whose dam Mergeela (by September Storm) won a bumper and is an own-sister to Longhouse Sale who won four bumpers, three hurdle races, three chases and two point-to-points. This is the family of Line Ball, Rocco, Mighty Mogul, etc.

Bangor winner

The John Kidd-bred winner at Bangor was the Donald McCain-trained They Want Me, a six-year-old Sageburg gelding who is the 12th of 15 recorded foals out of the unraced Double Eclipse mare Double Dream, a half-sister to Grey Abbey. The dam’s previous produce include Storm Control and Tagrita.

On the same afternoon, but in Newcastle, there were wins for the Fiona McStay-bred five-year-old gelding Wilde’s Legacy (Poet’s Word - Little Legacy, by Zoffany) and for the Neville Reid-bred six-year-old gelding Sleedagh (Milan - Tullyglush, by Scorpion).

Derek Fox, who had been on the mark at Carlisle last Thursday week, rode a winner at that Newcastle meeting while Danny McMenamin, who also visited the winner’s enclosure at Carlisle, recorded a double at Market Rasen on Sunday when Sam Ewing claimed the second race at Wexford.

Flat riders

On the flat, Dylan Browne McMonagle recorded his first Group 1 success for trainer Aidan O’Brien when landing the William Hill Futurity Stakes for two-year-olds on the Frankel colt Giant Sequoia. On the same afternoon, Barry McHugh and Oisin Orr were on the mark at Southwell, the latter following up at Redcar on Monday, while McHugh bagged another win at Catterick on Tuesday.

Kyle McHugh rode a winner at Kempton on Wednesday when, on this side of the Irish Sea, Andy Oliver sent out the Shambles Spies Syndicate’s Pocket Jacks, a three-year-old Starspangledbanner filly, to win division one of the seven-furlong handicap at Dundalk, providing jockey Gary Carroll with the third leg of a treble.

On the ownership front, it was good to see the colours of the Creighton family carried to victory at Galway on Monday, when the Willie Mullins-trained Zarak gelding Sharkeyboy won the QuinnBet three-year-old maiden hurdle.

THE good recent run of winners for the McGill family continued last Friday when all three, who regularly feature in this column, were on the mark at Sligo.

Trainer father Gary and elder son Orán combined to win division one of the extended two and a half-mile handicap hurdle with the Moss Star Syndicate’s Ocean Of Dreams, who was winning for the first time since joining the Co Derry yard.

The now five-year-old Fastnet Rock gelding, who was bred by Coolmore and won an autumn maiden at Leopardstown in 2023 on his only start as a two-year-old for Aidan O’Brien, failed to follow up in two runs at three and was subsequently sent to the horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls Newmarket.

The bay was placed three times in eight runs in England for Archie Watson before being despatched once again to Newmarket, where he was knocked down to Gary for 9,000gns.

While Orán was on board Ocean Of Dreams at Sligo, the gelding had been ridden on his previous start at Wexford by Dara McGill who, too, got on the scoresheet last Friday when landing the John Thomas McNamara Series (Q.R.) Maiden hurdle on track newcomer Tonightsagoodnight.

The four-year-old Feel Like Dancing gelding, who slipped up at Toomebridge in early May on the second of just two starts for Co Wexford’s Michael Murphy, is now also trained in Co Derry by Noel Kelly for the Jolly Men Racing Syndicate. The bay holds an entry in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on Tuesday.

Tattersalls point

At the Meath and Tara point-to-point on Sunday at Tattersalls Ireland, Dara joined forces with Co Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray to win the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on another son of Feel Like Dancing, Ballyglunin Lad, who was completing for the first time on his fourth start.

Back to Sligo where, sandwiched between those wins for the McGill brothers, was one in the second division of the handicap hurdle for Co Tyrone native Liam McKenna on board the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Finnians Row.

This was a sixth career success for the 10-year-old Famous Name gelding, whose previous five victories were over fences. Three of those wins were recorded at Downpatrick, home town of his owners Anne McCartan and Frances Smyth.