BEING a gentleman, we’re sure Andy Oliver won’t mind if we abandon date order and put ladies first to congratulate Natalia Lupini on sending out Dunum to land the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Galway on Tuesday evening.
Ridden by Seamie Heffernan and winning for the seventh time in his career, the seven-year-old Ivawood gelding ran in the colours of Maurice Burns who commented: “I bred this horse with my friend Michael McCartan and took him to Goffs sales as a foal. Many people liked him, but he only went to €2,800 so lucky enough I brought him home. This isn’t even a dream come true, this is a horse of a lifetime.
“You couldn’t write it and Dunum is the old Latin name for Downpatrick. Paddy Turley, who is a neighbour of mine in Downpatrick and a good friend, initially did a good job with the horse and it was he who recommended Natalia to train the horse.”
On the same card, the Turley-bred King Of Kingsfield landed the two and a quarter mile beginners’ chase for the Gordon Elliott yard.
The now seven-year-old Vadamos gelding was partnered by Deckie Lavery when landing a four-year-old maiden at Portrush by a distance in March 2022 on his only start for the Turleys.
Oliver win
Oliver’s win came on Saturday at Gowran where, in the trainer’s own colours, the Gary Carroll-partnered Sierra De Gredos recorded his second career success in the seven-furlong handicap.
Carroll rode a second winner at the Co Kilkenny track but that was bettered by Dylan Browne McMonagle, who recorded a treble and this was to go with a double at Leopardstown on Thursday week last and another at Cork on Friday.
Paddy McGettigan also partnered a winner at Cork and another at Gowran on Saturday.
Things were quiet enough across the water where, on the level, Patsy Cosgrave visited the winner’s enclosure at Chepstow on Friday with Oisin Orr doing so at York on Saturday.
Also on the flat, but in the Sky Bet ‘Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe’ Handicap over five furlongs at York on Saturday, the winner, Air Force One, was partnered by Danny McMenamin. Over jumps, Brian Hughes was on the mark at Worcester on Thursday week last and at Uttoxeter on Sunday.
Going back to Saturday, we saw that the McCracken Farms-bred six-year-old gelding La Pulga (Kodiac – Nijah, by Pivotal) justified favouritism in the extended mile and a half handicap.
I RAN out of space elsewhere, so I’ll use what’s available here to congratulate Banbridge’s Brian Clinghan who, from the smile on his face at Tattersalls on Sunday, one would think had sold a sales-topper.
Not so, but he was receiving as many congratulations from those who had heard the news from Hickstead that the Irish Sport Horse gelding Mulberry Lane, who Brian bred, had done the double in the supreme ridden horse championship at the Agria Royal International Horse Show. See page 74 for more news on the win.
THE Dublin Horse Show starts next Wednesday but for most readers of this column, their interest lies in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing racehorse to riding horse class which is due to start at 1.50pm in Ring 1 next Saturday.
One horse bang in form is the Fred Mackey-bred Native River who won the Tattersalls Ireland and Treo Eile showing pathway series open class at the Tattersalls Ireland July Show last Saturday (see page 87). The 15-year-old Indian River gelding is now in the care of Co Meath’s Emily MacMahon whose sister Clare was such a successful rider on the northern point-to-point scene.
Also catalogued is Briar Hill who, on his second start and in the colours of Wilson Dennison, was saddled by Colin McKeever to win a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Necarne in May 2012; Darver Star who will be ridden by Co Louth’s Linzi Sullivan/Dowdall; Brain Power who won a Newcastle bumper for James Jenkins in 2015 and five point-to-point opens for Warren Ewing between January 2022 and January 2023; and Largy Texas who ran unplaced three times for Stuart Crawford in 2024.
Throughout the five days, there will be plenty of locally-produced horses and ponies in action in the outside rings, the Main Arena and Simmonscourt. Arrive a bit early to get your bearings in the main showgrounds with all the reconstruction work taking place.
DON’T forget, August is style month at Downpatrick Racecourse and next Sunday’s meeting features the track’s ‘Most Stylish Hat and Accessories Competition’ with fantastic prizes on offer and live music before and after racing.
There were two locally-trained winners on last year’s corresponding card, Stuart Crawford’s Step Out in the Randox Maiden Hurdle and the Billy Bryson-trained, Neil Gault-ridden Augusta George who foiled a Crawford double in the bumper. Sam Ewing won the rated hurdle on the 15/8 favourite Mordor.
NORTHERN point-to-point handlers won’t have to travel too far to run their horses in October.
The season is due to start with a meeting at Toomebridge on Saturday, October 4th, followed by one a week later at Portrush and, seven days after that, by another at Loughanmore. The fourth and final local fixture in the autumn season is scheduled for Kirkistown on Saturday, November 15th.
Given climate change and the fact that it’s some time yet before one has to make entries for the East Antrim meeting, it’s probably a bit early to check out the going at Loughanmore. However, that’s where today’s Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day event is taking place and it’s well worth a visit with many of the country’s top riders in action.