CALEDON-based Andy Oliver saddled his second winner of the season last Saturday when Billy Lee-partnered Santa Bravado to victory in the 10-furlong €50,000 premier handicap at Navan.
Making his debut in handicap company on his fourth career start, his second of the campaign, Brian Mellon and Paddy McBride’s three-year-old Iffraaj colt scored by half a length from the 7/4 favourite Manton Bay.
On the same day, Draperstown’s Noel Kelly travelled down to Wexford with two horses, the second of whom, the eight-year-old Dark Angel gelding Gamigin, justified 9/2 favouritism in division two of the handicap hurdle in the hands of Orán McGill.
Having been up with the leaders in the early stages, Kelly’s Garrick Painter dropped out of contention in the first division of the same race, which was won by the Shark Hanlon-trained Mo Ghille Mar.
This five-year-old Zoffany mare, who was bred by Andrew McNally, is the last of five recorded foals out of First Love (by Galileo).
Locally bred
Other locally-bred winners in the period under review were the Campbell Massey-bred eight-year-old mare Taxus Baccata (Califet - Yewtree Girl, by Gamut), who landed a three-mile, one-furlong handicap chase at Aintree last Friday.
On Wednesday at Ayr, the Paddy Turley-bred four-year-old filly Glorious Kitty (Cotai Glory - Destiny’s Kitten, by Naaqoos) recorded her first career success in the mile apprentice handicap.
STUART Crawford was certainly fair to all exhibitors in the Downpatrick Racecourse racehorse to riding horse class at Balmoral Show last Wednesday week, giving each horse every chance to impress him.
Being in the saddle judging the ride phase, Stuart was probably a lot warmer than Co Meath trainer Gavin Cromwell, who assessed the horses for conformation and for movement when jogged up in hand. It was bitterly cold at the show, which was such a shame coming after the lovely weather over the previous few weeks.
As mentioned last Saturday, the winner was the 2010 Indian River gelding Native River, who was bred down the road from the showgrounds by Fred Mackey out of the Be My Native mare Native Mo.
His track career ran from early October 2014 to the end of 2021 and yielded 14 wins, including the 2018 running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Native River was first shown for his current owner, Tom Malone the bloodstock agent, in ex-racehorse classes in England, but has recently returned for a second season with Co Meath’s Emily MacMahon. The combination finished fifth at Dublin last August and that racehorse to riding horse class is very much their target again this year.
Also from Co Meath, Sharon Carolan finished second on the 13-year-old Lawman gelding Masterson, who won six races on the flat for Mick Channon and once over hurdles for Gordon Elliott, with Stephanie Moore, who won Thursday’s side saddle class, placing third on Andrew Nolan’s former Ken Condon-trained six-time winner Ice Cold In Alex.
On track
Back at the day job, Crawford struck twice at Ayr on Thursday, sending out Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s Kibris to win the opening maiden hurdle and Sean McElroy’s Dubhain to land division one of the longer maiden hurdles. A former charge, Largy Force, won the three-mile handicap chase.
The Crawford yard also had a point-to-point winner last Sunday when Stephen Connor-partnered Shane Wilson’s French-bred newcomer, Myself d’Agrostis (by Brave Mansonnien), to a five-length victory in the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P and HIT four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Loughrea.
Down in Ballindenisk, where they’ve recently hosted a national dressage championship, an international horse trials and an Irish Pony Club Festival qualifier, the Fell family welcomed in the United Hunt for their point-to-point on Sunday, when all eight races were won by Irish-bred horses.
These included the five-year-old Order Of St George bay Order Another One who, in the colours of her previous trainer, Warren Ewing, brought up a double for Co Wexford’s Michael Murphy.
IT has been a long time since I mentioned Kerri Radcliffe in this column, so I am more than happy to do so now following the 25/1 success of the Robson De Aguiar-trained Your Song in the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Race for two-year-olds at Naas last Sunday.
The Coulsty filly, who made all over the minimum trip under Hollie Doyle, was having her second start for owners Radcliffe, Arthur Hoyeau and Giselle De Aguiar, the first being at Cork early last month. The result, and what may have been the resultant result, is well covered elsewhere.
Three days earlier, Conor McGlone’s Chanceawetmorning was sent out by Gordon Elliott to land the handicap hurdle at Clonmel and, on the same day, Jarleth Conway had his colours carried to success in the opening mares’ hurdle at Fontwell on the Dan Skelton-trained Hidden Fortune.
Flat winners
The Iain Jardine-trained Classy Clarets, who landed the apprentice handicap at Hamilton on Friday, is owned by Darrell Torrens while, sticking with the flat, David Marnane saddled the Paul Rooney-owned Ballymagreehan to win the mile handicap at Gowran on Wednesday. The four-year-old Sergei Prokofiev gelding was ridden by Luke McAteer who, the previous day, had been on the mark at Cork.
Oisin Orr partnered four winners from Saturday to Tuesday, the last being at Newcastle, where Kyle McHugh also visited the winner’s enclosure. Paddy McGettigan recorded a win at Leopardstown on Friday, Dylan Browne McMonagle did so at Navan on Saturday, as did Darragh Keenan at Thirsk on Sunday.
Over jumps, Danny McMenamin was on the mark at Hexham on Tuesday.
BOYLE Sports has strengthened its commitment to racing in Northern Ireland by signing a new three-year extension to sponsor the popular Summer Festival of Racing at Down Royal, which this year takes place on June 19th and 20th.
As part of the renewed partnership, Boyle Sports will retain exclusive naming rights to the meeting’s feature contests, The Ulster Derby (Premier Handicap) and The Ulster Oaks, both of which take place on day two of the Festival and offer significant prize funds.
The bookmaker will also enjoy title sponsorship of the full card at the ‘Boyle Sports Summer Race Evening’ on Friday next, May 29th, further underlining its investment in the local racing scene.
Brian O’Keeffe, Media Relations Manager for Boyle Sports, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Down Royal Racecourse and we look forward to playing our part in the continued success of the Summer Festival of Racing. This agreement reflects our continued dedication to supporting the sport in Northern Ireland.”
Emma Meehan-McCoy, Chief Executive of Down Royal, added: “Partnerships like this play a key role in supporting the continued growth and success of racing.
“From racing fans to fashion enthusiasts, it remains one of the standout occasions in our calendar, and we look forward to welcoming visitors for another fantastic weekend of competitive racing and memorable entertainment this summer.”
BRIAN Hughes continues to recover from the broken leg he suffered in a fall at Newcastle in March and some readers may well have met him at the Goffs Spring Store Sale in Doncaster earlier this week.
The former three-time British champion jumps jockey is seen here holding Super Citizen, who his wife Luci sent out to win a handicap chase at Carlisle in November with Brian in the saddle. The 12-year-old Multiplex gelding and the yard’s other runners during the season are now on holiday.
Hughes is obviously well able to multi-task as, despite the crutches, he is also seen looking after Lottie (Charlotte Lucinda), the youngest of the couple’s three children.