TYPICALLY, having cut and squeezed information last Saturday to fit everything in, this week it was more of a struggle to find anything to write about thanks to the weather which I am not discussing.
On the flat riding front, Co Donegal native Kyle McHugh got his year off to a good start with a win in the mile and a half handicap at Lingfield last Saturday on the Michael Keady-trained Mio Amico (11/1).
Co Down-born Patsy Cosgrave recorded a short-priced double on Tuesday afternoon at Wolverhampton. He struck first in the extended mile novice race on the George Boughey-trained Sovereign Wealth (2/9) then landed division one of the following six-furlong race on James Owen’s charge Secret Road (2/5).
Martin Harley won on his two rides at Eagle Farm, Brisbane on Wednesday. Both wins came in 1,600m handicaps, the first on the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Lyneham (a Wootton Bassett three-year-old) and the second on the Robert Heathcote-trained Special Artist.
The only locally-bred flat winner to catch the eye was the David Laverty-bred five-year-old mare Little Mi Mi (Dandy Man – Alasaayel, by Shamardal) who landed the opening five-furlong apprentice handicap at Newcastle last Thursday week.
THE former three-time British champion jumps jockey Brian Hughes maintained his good recent run with two wins at the start of 2026, both in Scotland.
On New Year’s Day, he was in action at Musselburgh where he landed the extended two and a half-mile handicap chase on the Sandy Thomson-trained Marty McFly, an eight-year-old Getaway gelding who justified 5/2 favouritism by 12 lengths.
Hughes joined forces with the same trainer the following day at Ayr where they won the two-mile maiden hurdle with the six-year-old Malinas gelding Sanilam. In the following extended two-mile novices’ handicap chase at that meeting, victory went to the former Colin McKeever-trained Ballyfort who justified 13/8 favouritism by one and a half lengths over the Stuart Crawford-trained, Sam Ewing-ridden Southey.
That pair also had to settle for the runner-up spot with Karafon in the extended two and a half-mile novices’ handicap chase behind the Nicky Richards-trained eight-year-old Milan gelding Milcree who is one of three winners out of the Zaffaran mare Glencree Spirit.
THERE were four locally-bred winners on New Year’s Day, starting in Tramore where the two-mile, one furlong handicap hurdle was landed by the Patrick Murphy-bred six-year-old gelding Captain Ryan (Affinisea – Ryans Robin, by Robin Des Champs).
The next of the quartet to strike was the Joe Johnston-bred eight-year-old gelding A Year Older (Mamool – Legally Binding, by Double Eclipse) who, at odds of 40/1, sprung a six-length surprise in the three-mile, two furlong handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Across the water, the three-mile handicap hurdle at Cheltenham went to the Michael and Leonard Cave-bred seven-year-old gelding Ma Shantou (Shantou – Ma Pretention, by Great Pretender) while the concluding near two-mile handicap hurdle at Catterick was won by the Fiona McStay-bred Killycarn (Mount Nelson – Hakeeka, by Cape Cross).
Now six and trained by Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith, the bay started his career with Gerald Quinn for whom he ran twice in this country early last year.
Ridden by Noel McParlan on both occasions, Killycarn first pulled up at Kirkistown in early March in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden won by the David Christie-trained My Life Be Like before finishing second, beaten half a length, behind the Caroline McCaldin-trained Chichester Park in a similar contest at Toomebridge in May.
Christmas period
Pressure on space last week meant that I didn’t get to mention all locally-bred winners over the Christmas period.
Among those omitted were the Graham Duncan-bred 2017 gelding Thistle Ask (Ask – Thistle Lane, by Exit To Nowhere) who landed the two-mile Grade 2 Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton on Saturday, December 27th for the Dan Skelton yard.
The following day at Leicester, the two and a half-mile novices’ handicap chase was won by the Katrina Mackie-bred 5/6 favourite Ballymackie (Califet – Moll Magee, by Yeats).
When trained by the breeder’s sister Caroline McCaldin for their father Wilson Dennison, the bay was placed once from two starts as a four-year-old in 2022 before landing a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Punchestown in February 2023 and a winners’ of two at Loughanmore that April on the last of his four outings in this country.
There were wins also for the John Kidd-bred 2020 gelding They Want Me (Sageburg – Double Dream, by Double Eclipse) in a division of the two-mile maiden hurdle at Kelso on Monday and for the Pat Turley-bred gelding Wertpol (Kodi Bear – Exoptable, by Dark Angel) in the extended two-mile juvenile hurdle at Taunton the following afternoon.
New year wins
On New Year’s Eve, the Alfred Buller-bred 2016 gelding Sammy Smart (Kalanisi – Fancy Fisher, by Clerkenwell) justified his position at the head of the market in the near two and a half-mile handicap chase at Punchestown.
The bay is trained by Thomas Gibney as he was when carrying Buller’s own colours up to the start of 2024.
England-based, Co Antrim-born trainer Neil Mulholland sent out six winners and numerous placed runners over the extended Christmas period.
Northern fixtures are ready for off in 2026
THE second half of the 2025/26 point-to-point season in the Northern Region is due to get under way this day fortnight at Tyrella, just days before Down Royal racecourse holds its first meeting of the year, the Molson Coors Race Day, on Tuesday, January 20th.
The feature race on the card is the extended two-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase while the last will once again be the Madri Excepcional Handicap Chase which, last January, was won by the Stuart Crawford-trained Now Where Or When, a 2015 Where Or When gelding then owned by his breeder, Margaret McCrudden.