APOLOGIES to Castlereagh native Jordan Canavan for failing to notice, and thus failing to mention, his win in the Grand National Stakes, a three and a quarter mile race over timber, at Butler, Maryland in mid-April.
This was on the Leslie Young-trained Wrestlingwithrae, a seven-year-old Snow Sky gelding who won a four-year-old Ballingarry maiden in May 2022 on his only start in this country for Cormac Doyle.
Last Saturday, as the US jump racing spring season came to a close with the Radnor Hunt Races meeting in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Canavan won the Radnor Hunt Cup, another timber race over three and a quarter miles, on Young’s charge Project Two, a seven-year-old Belardo gelding who was trained here by Eddie and Patrick Harty.
Young doubled up in the two-mile, one-furlong maiden hurdle with the Luke Carberry-ridden Mooney Love, a seven-year-old gelding by Australia.
Also ‘out foreign’ last Saturday, Martin Harley won a Group 2 race for two-year-olds at Doomben in Australia on the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Cool Archie.
THE Cheveley Park Stud-owned A Plus Tard gave the recently retired Rachael Blackmore her first Cheltenham Festival success when landing the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed) in 2019.
Last Friday evening, just over six years on, the 11-year-old French-bred gelding gave his new partner, Emily Kate Robinson, her first major success since taking over the ride, when winning the Downpatrick Racecourse Racehorse to Riding Horse class in the Main Arena at this year’s Balmoral Show.
The class was judged by one-time show pony rider turned Co Tipperary trainer Edward O’Grady and former multiple champion Irish National Hunt jockey Davy Russell who these days splits his time between racing and the pony show jumping circuit.
In speaking to commentator Paul Nolan, Russell stressed the importance of a second career for racehorses and their welfare.
A Plus Tard, who is by Kapgarde out of a Kahyasi mare and won six chases for the Henry de Bromhead yard including the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup under Blackmore, was beautifully turned-out and ridden by the diminutive Robinson.
Now part of the de Bromhead team, the talented Co Waterford dressage rider really set her mount up for the gallop from which he came back to hand quite readily.
Omagh-based Corrie Auchterlonie finished second on board Our Father, a 19-year-old Shantou gelding who won two hurdles and a chase when trained in England by David Pipe.
He now competes under Showjumping Ireland rules with Auchterlonie riding as an amateur.
Principle third
Raholp’s Seainin Mahon was placed third with the now well-experienced show horse General Principle, the 16-year-old Gold Well gelding who numbered the 2018 BoyleSports Irish Grand National among his five successes on the track.
Vincent Phelan, one of the rare few men who ride in these classes, slotted into fourth on Askforbigmoney who failed to finish in three runs in point-to-point maidens.
Phelan made the most of his journey up from Co Waterford as he also partnered the nine-year-old Ask gelding in Thursday morning’s large riding horse class where he finished third behind Anne Gomes’s Irish Sport Horse mare Memory Lane, a five-year-old by the thoroughbred stallion Island Commander.
All those who competed in the racehorse to riding horse class were presented with entry tickets to Downpatrick racecourse and hopefully some of those riders went to yesterday’s evening fixture which was advertised in the show catalogue.
Next Friday, there is an evening meeting at Down Royal which is sponsored by BoyleSports.
AS he lives close by, it wasn’t too surprising to see Harold Kirk at last week’s Balmoral Show and it wasn’t much of a surprise either to see fellow bloodstock agent Kevin Ross in attendance.
The latter however, had a job to do having accepted an invitation from the show’s horse committee to judge the Body Condition Score of those forward in Thursday’s two riding horse classes, the two ladies’ astride classes and the ladies’ side saddle class. This initiative was developed and funded by The Horse Trust and delivered in partnership with the University of Liverpool to tackle equine obesity.
Anyone suffering withdrawal symptoms following the end of the regional point-to-point season and the lack of reference to sponsor Wilson Dennison would have had a bit of relief at the show as they wander around and visit the Dennison JCB, Ballyclare stand, winner of the ‘Best trade stand displaying plant machinery or equipment’.