RANDOX founder Peter FitzGerald owned two National Hunt winners in the past week, the more obvious of the pair being the Henry de Bromhead-trained Montmarte grey Salsinha who landed the four-year-old fillies’ bumper at Cork on Friday on her debut.
On Wednesday just gone, the FitzGerald colours were carried to victory in a three-year-old hurdle at Clairefontaine on the No Risk At All gelding Mulough Boy who is trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm and was ridden by Jordan Gainford.
A more normal double was recorded on Saturday at Perth where the McBurney family-owned, Gerald Quinn-trained and Dara McGill-ridden Invictus World and Takt De Touques obliged in the two-mile, four-furlong handicap hurdle and the three-mile handicap hurdle respectively.
Two local trainers were on the mark on Friday last, Pat Collins sending out his own four-year-old filly Small Bucks (by The Gurkha) to land the two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle at Cork, where she was sent off at 33/1, while, at Kilbeggan, Noel Kelly saddled Chancer Dancer to win a division of the extended two-mile, two-furlong handicap hurdle.
McCoy bred
That eight-year-old Getaway mare was bred by Leah McCoy out of the Daliapour mare Sandrinechoix who is dam also of the five-time winner Escapeandevade (by Westerner).
The second division of that handicap hurdle was won by the Ross O’Sullivan-trained 100/30 joint favourite Telnobody, who is owned by Downpatrick’s Alan Telford. The five-year-old Shantou mare had one run in a point-to-point maiden at Loughanmore in April last year when trained by Brian Hamilton senior.
On Sunday, Mark McNiff sent out the six-year-old Nathaniel gelding Evans Secret to win the extended three-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle at Sligo where the Marshall Watson-bred, John McGivney-owned Sargent Lightfoot, an 11-year-old Jeremy gelding, won the extended two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle for Co Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray.
Oliver’s ‘plans’ bear fruit
CALEDON’s Andy Oliver saddled a couple of nice winners at the end of last week, starting on Thursday at Leopardstown where Francis Campbell’s Sounds Like A Plan (by Night Of Thunder), who was carrying joint top-weight, landed the seven-furlong handicap for three-year-olds by half a length.
On Saturday at Leopardstown, where he was having just his second start and his first since being gelded, Sidney Reilly justified favouritism in the mile maiden for three-year-olds by five lengths.
Oliver owns this son of Cotai Glory in partnership with the chesnut’s breeder, Anne O’Callaghan of Tally-Ho Stud where the sire stands.
On the flat jockey scene, pride of place this week goes to Dylan Browne McMonagle who rode one winner at Navan on Sunday and followed that up with a treble on Monday at Killarney, that trio all being trained by his boss, Joseph O’Brien. Luke McAteer was also on the mark at Leopardstown last Thursday.
On the same day across the water, Oisin Orr partnered two winners at Carlisle and added to his seasonal tally with a win at Hamilton on Saturday.
Patsy Cosgrave visited the winners’ twice at Chepstow last Friday, Darragh Keenan struck once on Saturday at Ascot.
Breeding front
On the breeding front, the Fiona McStay and Make Believe Syndicate-bred five-year-old mare Believe You Me (Make Believe - Beauthea, by Barathea) won at Epsom last Thursday week, the McCracken Farms-bred three-year-old gelding The Pouncing Lion (Ghaiyyath - Northeast Moon, by Sea The Moon) won at Southwell on Sunday and the Northern Bloodstock-bred 12-year-old gelding (Fast Company - Lindoras Grace, by Galileo) defied his age to win over two miles, one furlong at Killarney on Tuesday.
Castlewellan owner Paul Rooney had his colours carried to victory at Leopardstown last Thursday week by the David Marnane-trained Slieve Binnian and at Dundalk on Saturday by the Marnane-trained Ballymagreehan.
At Limerick on Saturday, Ado McGuinness saddled She’s Smart to win the extended six-furlong handicap for Jimmy Fairhurst and Cyril McMullan. The following afternoon at Navan, John McConnell saddled the four-year-old Kessaar filly Tartaraghan to win in the colours of Mark Devlin.
Brenda brings ‘Down’ a local win
WHAT to do?
There were no locally-trained winners in the sun on Family Funday Monday at Downpatrick nor in the showers the following afternoon when, at least, there was success for one local owner and, even better, success for one local owner-breeder.
The latter was Brenda Cunningham whose colours were carried to victory in the two-mile, six-furlong handicap hurdle by the Ben Harvey-ridden Georgia Celena (see page 64).
The seven-year-old Hillstar mare was the second of two winners saddled over the two days by John McConnell who credited Brian Hamilton for pre-training the bay before her return to his Co Meath yard.
Georgia Celena, who was recording her first win on her ninth start, is the third of five foals registered with Weatherbys out of the unraced Presenting mare Georgia Girl who comes from the family of Mrs Playfair, White Star Line, The Cap Fits, etc.
She is the dam of one other runner in Sir Jimmy Mac (by Valirann) whose sole success came under Deckie Lavery in a Downpatrick bumper in March 2022 on the first of just six starts. Trained in Co Wicklow by Philip Rothwell, the John Leckey-owned Woodstream Lad won the following two-mile, three-furlong Randox Handicap Hurdle by 14 lengths.
Summer BBQ
The next meeting at Downpatrick comes on Style Sunday, August 10th, but you can meet up with racing friends at Kingsfield Farm on the Vianstown Road from 7.30pm onwards on Saturday next, July 26th, for the East Down P2P Summer BBQ.
There is an admission charge of £20 per person, there are bar facilities and entertainment by The Disco King but, take note, this is a cash-only event.