RACING at Kilbeggan last Friday commenced with a two-mile maiden hurdle which was won by the J.J. Slevin-ridden 8/1 chance Minella Cyclone, whose previous starts had been in a bumper at the same track in May, when he finished seventh, and in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballysteen the previous month, when he unseated his rider at the last.
On Friday, Minella Cyclone was having his first run for Co Tipperary trainer John Patrick Ryan, who told Irish Racing: “I don’t think I’ve ever had a better horse. He’s a real good horse. We were giving him a run today to be honest, we thought he’d come on from it.
“He’s probably six weeks away from being hard fit. He was a different class, he won just through pure class. No screws have been turned on this horse yet. He’s a winter horse really, he’s 17 hands plus. We’ll go to Cheltenham in November with him.”
Minella Cyclone was bred in Dromore by Fred Mackey. The brown son of Harzand is the second of five foals, and the first track runner, out of Mollyking (by King’s Theatre), who won a mares’ maiden at Loughanmore and a winners of one at Taylorstown in the 2016/17 season, when trained by Jerry Cosgrave and ridden by Mark O’Hare.
The dam is a half-sister to the Notnowcato mare Notnowlinda, who won three times over hurdles and was placed in a listed bumper. This is the family of Ottawa, Calling Brave and other multiple winners.
On the level, there was a win at Salisbury last Thursday week for the Roger Varian-trained Miss Miniver who, in a very tight finish, justified 11/10 favouritism by a neck in the seven-furlong two-year-old fillies’ maiden. The McCracken Farms-bred Wooton Bassett bay is the sixth of seven foals out of the three time-winning Shamardal mare Jawlaat, whose previous produce include Team Valor’s Ribchester gelding Facteur Cheval, who has career earnings of £4,428,078.
Hughes leads way in UK
JUMPING rules when it comes to winning jockeys this week, Brian Hughes leading the way with four wins in the period under review, including a double at Perth on Monday.
Simon Torrens rode a winner at Kilbeggan last Thursday week and another at Galway on Monday, both in the colours of J.P. McManus, while Danny McMenamin was on the mark at Bangor on Friday.
On the flat, Oisin Orr partnered his 56th winner of the British campaign at Newcastle last Thursday week.
On the same day, the colours of Pat Sloan were carried to victory in a division of the two-mile maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan on the 2/1 favourite Combs, a four-year-old Dark Angel gelding trained by Gordon Elliott.
The Jarleth Conway-owned five-year-old Soldier Of Fortune mare Hidden Fortune also rewarded favourite backers in the extended two-mile novices’ hurdle at Bangor on Tuesday.
FOR the third year running, Natalia Lupini trained the winner of the two-year-old auction maiden at the Grant Thornton meeting at Down Royal last Friday.
Striking for the yard on this occasion was the Kameko colt Sovreigns Joy who, on his third start, was sent off at odds of 15/8 following his second-place finish on his previous outing at Leopardstown last month.
The bay, who is the third recorded produce and second winner out of the unraced Galileo mare Terrify, runs in the colours of Gary Devlin, who owns him in partnership with Craig Bryson and Kevin Osborne.
The colours of the Caherty Racing Syndicate were carried to victory at Perth on Monday, as the Dara McGill-ridden Annie Agnew recorded her second career success in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
The six-year-old Sir Percy mare was providing her trainer, Gerald Quinn, with his first success of the season.
Hunter certificates
At time of writing, the Ballymena handler had registered hunter certificates for 27 horses for the upcoming point-to-point season. The vast majority are owned by Philip McBurney, while the five-year-old Scorpion mare Caldanagh, who pulled up on her only start at Tyrella last March, is owned by Quinn himself.
As we’ve done previously, we’ll drop down into Co Cavan for another winner in the Patrick Magee-trained, Charles Cranston-owned Coulstys Way, who won the mile-and-a-half Boyle Sports Apprentice Handicap at Galway on Tuesday evening.
TODAY’s exercise tip is to walk the cross-country course at the new Eventing Ireland Northern Region venue of Moyallen on the Mullahead Road, Portadown.
There are 11 thoroughbreds among the entry and 19 tomorrow at the event in Tattersalls, which honours the late George Mernagh, a good friend of many local vendors and purchasers at the Co Meath sales complex.
DOWNPATRICK stages its penultimate meeting of the year next Friday, September 18th, when the card will feature four hurdle races, two chases and a bumper.
Last year, the action opened with a win for the Victor McCrea-owned, Noel Kelly-trained, Orán McGill-ridden High Court Cave, who was sent off as the 8/13 favourite and obliged by four and a half lengths.
Unfortunately, it was downhill from there for locally-connected runners. Hopefully, things will improve next week, so there will be extra reason to enjoy the live music after racing.