OUTSIDE the world of racing, there were a couple of eye-catching performances by horses bred locally.
At the Tattersalls Ireland July Show, the final of the Open Thoroughbred Pathway Series, sponsored by the sales company and Treo Eile, was won by the 16-year-old Indian River gelding Native River, who was bred near Dromore by Fred Mackey (see page 93).
The 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is now being produced for bloodstock agent Tom Malone by Co Meath’s Emily MacMahon who, later on Sunday, finished second in the side-saddle class on the chesnut.
Their next engagement will be in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing racehorse to riding horse class at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show where, this day week, they will once again face the 2022 Gold Cup winner, A Plus Tard.
Bronze medal
At last week’s inaugural Under 25 World Eventing Championships in Millstreet, the USA’s Olivia Dutton claimed the individual bronze medal on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Jewelent, who was first produced here by Clare Abbott.
The 13-year-old grey, who is by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Valent, was bred by the late Woods Rosbotham out of the Roselier mare Bellaney Jewel, the dam of two winners on the track, and the winner of a bumper, two hurdle races and five chases herself.
Also in the world of eventing, the late George Mernagh, who was a great friend of many in Northern Ireland where he very much enjoyed checking out potential sales horses for Tattersalls Ireland, will be honoured at the Co Meath complex on Sunday, September 13th by the first running of the George Mernagh Tattersalls Horse Trials, which were official launched last Friday (see page 98).
I KNOW he rode a group winner later in the week but, between last Thursday week and this Tuesday inclusive, Dylan Browne McMonagle visited the winner’s enclosure on seven occasions.
As far as I’m concerned, the most important of the reigning champion flat jockey’s victories came on Tuesday at Galway, where he landed the seven-furlong handicap on the 7/2 favourite, Eddie G.
It’s not that I backed the Kuroshio gelding, but the five-year-old is trained by my neighbour Ado McGuinness, who also saddled the second and fourth-placed horses, Go Athletico and Goal Exceeded.
Former champion Colin Keane, who is currently leading the title race, picked up one of his wins at Galway on Monday, when the Noel Meade-trained Madbadanddangerous recorded a neck victory in the extended mile and a half handicap in the colours of Belfast’s Seamus Hunt.
Britain
Disappointingly, especially for me, it was a quiet week otherwise on the racing front, with wins on the flat for Patsy Cosgrave at Ascot on Friday (when Oisin Orr rode a winner at York) and at Yarmouth on Tuesday.
Paddy Bradley recorded a double at Newcastle on Saturday while, on same day but over here, Luke McAteer partnered a winner at Gowran.
Last Friday, Sam Ewing landed the extended two and a half mile handicap chase at Kilbeggan on the Noel Meade-trained Golden Temple. This six-year-old Galileo Gold gelding used to run in the colours of Patricia Hunt, but now carries the livery of The Spice of Life Partnership.
On Wednesday evening, the Tote Galway Plate was won by the Willie Mullins-trained 20/1 shot King Alexander who, as a three-year-old, was purchased at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover Sale for €60,000 by Kevin Ross Bloodstock.
I DON’T think that people going racing at Downpatrick need an extra reason to dress up, but the track is promoting its meeting on Sunday next as ‘Style Sunday’.
The feature contest on the card will be the “Most Stylist Hat and Accessories Competition”, where the Most Stylish of the stylish racegoers will win a private suite for 10 of their guests on Ladies’ Day at the track to be used on Monday, August 31st, and a £250 hotel voucher.