THERE are many unique aspects to racing at Downpatrick, but having your biggest fixture of the year on the opening day of your season has to be especially distinctive.

The Randox Ulster National Handicap Chase is, of course, the highlight of tomorrow’s card. Last year, there wasn’t even one locally-trained horse in the race.

At time of writing, at 10am on Thursday, the 2026 home defence was to consist of the Gary McGill-trained nine-year-old Imperial Monarch gelding Money Heist, who last ran over fences at Down Royal in October.

Thankfully, the other races have attracted entries from local trainers and also from other local sponsors, which is always good to see. This is testament to the hard work of Downpatrick’s board, management and staff and to the standing the track has in the community.

The Co Meath-based Boardsmill Stud continues its sponsorship of the maiden hunters’ chase, which brings the day’s on-course action to a close.

Don’t forget that the 2026 Randox Grand National Trophy, designed by Boodles, will be on display at Downpatrick tomorrow, affording racegoers the opportunity to be photographed alongside the trophy from the ‘other’ world renowned race.

IT was great to see that five of the six winners at Kirkistown last Saturday were trained in the Northern region, ran in the colours of local owners and that two of the four winners who carried an IRE suffix were bred locally as well.

The first of this pair was the Wilson Dennison-owned, Caroline McCaldin-trained and Katrina Mackie-bred six-year-old gelding Mackieshill (Flemensfirth - Moll Magee, by Yeats), who followed up his maiden victory at Farmacaffley by landing the winners’ of one.

The bay was ridden on both occasions by Oran McGill, who had earlier landed Saturday’s mares’ maiden on Lady Eimile, who is trained by his father Gary.

Bred near Ardglass by Kieran Magee, the Stuart Crawford-owned and trained six-year-old Ballypollard (Califet - Native Artiste, by Flemensfirth) made a winning debut under Stephen Connor in the concluding older geldings’ maiden.

The bay is the first foal out of his unraced dam, being followed by an Order Of St George colt and fillies by Blue Bresil (2023), Poet’s Word (2024) and Jeu St Eloi.

British wins

In Britain over the weekend, there were wins between the flags for the Hugh Suffern-bred eight-year-old gelding Eagles Rock (Conduit - Insanity Of Love, by Winged Love) in the mixed open at Overton on Saturday and, on the same afternoon, for the Danny Doran-bred 10-year-old gelding Calidad in the adjacent hunts’ race at Siddington.

On Sunday, the opening hunt members’ race at Dalton Park was won by the Ivor McGrath-bred eight-year-old gelding Sunset On Fire (Flemensfirth - Be My Sunset, by Bob Back). Although carrying a GB suffix, the five-year-old mare Farm Assured (Lauro - Majestic Meg, by Exit To Nowhere), who saw off her sole rival in a maiden at Kilworthy by three lengths, was bred by Alfred Buller.

DOWNPATRICK native Danny McMenamin took his seasonal total to 67 on Wednesday at Hexham, where he landed the concluding eight-runner mares’ bumper on the very lightly-raced Myfriendcooper, beating the 6/4 favourite Emiko by two and three-parts of a length.

The Valirann bay won a four-year-old mares’ maiden at Dromahane in April 2024 on her only start between the flags, shortly after which she was sold for £70,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham. She didn’t appear in public again until the end of January when, under the currently sidelined Brian Hughes, she finished fourth of seven in a bumper at Ayr.

Myfriendcooper is trained by Hughes’s wife Luci who, last Thursday week, provided McMenamin with the second leg of a double at Sedgefield when saddling Klitschko to win the concluding two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle in her own colours.

The CosyRoof-sponsored jockey rode one winner at Kelso on Saturday and recorded a double the next day at Carlisle, where he had to share the honours in one race following a dead-heat.

Also under National Hunt rules across the water, there were wins for Caoilin Quinn at Newbury on Saturday and for Derek Fox at Hexham on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, at home, Deckie Lavery landed the Listed Kevin McManus Bookmaker Champion (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race at Limerick on Sunday on board the Gavin Cromwell-trained Coole Cafe.

On the flat, Luke McAteer was on the mark on Friday at Dundalk, while Oisin Orr recorded a double at Wolverhampton.

The first race at Dundalk, the five-furlong handicap, was won by the Northern Bloodstock Agency-bred four-year-old filly Bye Bye Now (Bungle Inthejungle - Chinese Democracy, by Proud Citizen).

Under National Hunt rules on Saturday, there were wins in the bumper at Navan for the Fiona McStay-owned and bred five-year-old mare Glens Anthem (Harzand - Glens Melody, by King’s Theatre), who was making her debut, and in the two-mile, three-furlong novices’ handicap hurdle at Newbury for the Neville Reid-bred six-year-old gelding Storming George (Order Of St George - Nickel, by Presenting).

Limerick win

The following afternoon, the extended three-mile handicap chase at Limerick was won by the Colm McHenry-bred nine-year-old gelding Prophet’s Corner (Westerner - Knocklayde Rose, by Even Top).

On Monday, there was a 23-length success in the three-mile, one-furlong mares’ handicap chase at Wincanton for the Campbell Massey-bred eight-year-old Taxus Baccata (Califet - Yewtree Girl, by Gamut).

At Navan on Saturday, the colours of Newry owner Peter Macklin were carried to victory in the extended two-mile, six-furlong novices’ hurdle by the very lightly-raced Kalanisi gelding Shabby Hill.

WHILE racing returned to Portrush in 2016, that was in the autumn of the year so there is no fixture which corresponds to today’s meeting at the Co Antrim venue.

Twenty years ago, the Route held their point-to-point outside Limavady where, following divides, there was a nine-race card. Johnny Farrelly recorded a four-timer on Artattack (division one of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden), Rowdy Rascal and Ross An Ri (both divisions of the six and seven-year-old geldings’ maiden) and Social Dream (confined hunt race).

Andrew Duff brought up a double in the concluding winners’ of one on The Hill. There were 12 runners in that race, as there were in the earlier open, where Duff made most of the running over the four-mile trip (22 fences) on Hugh Duffy’s then 10-year-old Roselier gelding Hersov, beating Farrelly, on the even-money favourite Newbay Prop, by three lengths. There were single wins for J.D. Moore on Rowdy Yeats and William Rankin with Ramsden Boy, in the divisions of the opening five-year-old geldings’ maiden, and for Paul McAleese on Florida Night (division two of the mares’ maiden).