WITH Noel McParlan having narrowly failed to retain the northern riders’ title when the regional season ended at Castle Irvine, Necarne last Saturday, local hopes are now pinned on Toni Quail being crowned champion lady rider.
Going into this weekend’s action, the Downpatrick native is three wins ahead of her nearest rival, Pandora Briselden. She moved on to the eight-mark following victories on the Sam Curling-trained pair of Cosmic Blizzard in the Dennison Commercials winners of three at Castle Irvine, Necarne on Friday and Longhouse Star in the INHSC winners of two at Loughrea on Sunday.
Gerald Quinn had a great end to the northern season, sending out five winners over the two days of the Fermanagh Hunt meeting, four in the colours of Philip McBurney.
The pair who won the divisions of the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P and HIT Sales five-year-old geldings’ maiden on Friday did so under Deckie Lavery while Noel McParlan carried McBurney’s colours to victory on Saturday.
McParlan was also on board the Quinn-trained Four Springs who landed the Dennison Commercials four-year-old geldings’ maiden on his debut. The Berkshire gelding is owned by Robert Armstrong who bred the bay out of the French-bred Send For Molly (by Arcadio) who, purchased for €3,000 as a foal by Kevin Ross Bloodstock, never ran but was a full-sister to a six-time winner in Arcade Attraction.
Four Springs is the first of just two registered foals out of Send For Molly, the other being a 2022 full-sister.
Out of luck with his three runners over the two days at Castle Irvine, Necarne, Paddy Turley struck with his sole runner at Bartlemy on Sunday when the Darragh Hanlon-ridden She’s Delighted justified favouritism by two lengths in the mares’ winners of two. On the same United Hunt card, the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P & HIT Sale and Coolmore Stud four-year-old mares’ maiden was won by the Poet’s Word bay Recite A Poem who was bred by John Taylor out of the unraced Luso mare Maldagora, the dam of two previous winners by Generous.
IT’s a busy time for the team at Downpatrick who, last Friday week, staged a very successful evening meeting at which there was a bit of local luck.
The opening Randox Maiden Hurdle was won by the Philip Polly-owned 5/6 favourite Game On who is now trained by Noel Meade but started out his racing career with Warren Ewing; the following Road Stud Installations Handicap Hurdle went the way of another market-leader, Our Zebo who is trained by Noel Kelly and was bred by John and Margery Adams; and Liam McKenna landed the Remembering Caughoo Handicap Chase on Riggs.
Yesterday, Downpatrick racecourse sponsored the racehorse to riding horse class at Balmoral Show where among those who had entries were Corrie Auchterlonie (Our Father), Suzy Barkley (McQuinn), Seainin Mahon (General Principle), Rosalind Morcombe’s In Our Blood and Sarah Louise Spence (Cursu Mina).
Facing the entries page, there was an advertisement for next Friday evening’s meeting at the track which will not only feature the €17,500 Dennison Commercial Volvo Trucks Hunters Steeplechase but also a guest appearance by the John Hegarty and Jenny O’Kane-owned Winged Leader who trainer David Christie saddled to land a record-equalling 33rd win between the flags last Saturday.
The 11-year-old Winged Love gelding was ridden to victory in the Killyhevlin Hotel and ITBA-sponsored open at his local track by regular partner Barry O’Neill who secured his sixth Northern Region riders’ title with this three-length success, beating last year’s rallying champion Noel McParlan by one win, 20 to 19.
THE Roselier mare Bellaney Jewel, who won a point-to-point, two hurdle races and five chases when trained mainly for breeder Woods Rosbotham by first George Stewart and then John Quinn, narrowly failed to bring off a remarkable double as a broodmare last weekend.
You won’t find reference to this in the racing pages however as the grey’s two progeny by the Rosbotham family’s Dutch Warmblood stallion Valent are plying their trade on the eventing scene, one in Britain and the other in the United States.
First up, the 11-year-old mare Cooley Rosalent was leading going into Sunday’s final show jumping round of the CCI*5-L at Badminton but had a pole down and dropped to second under Britain’s Oliver Townend in whose hands she has rarely finished outside the top six in 25 international starts. The grey was first produced here on the young event horse scene by Colin Halliday.
Runner-up
Later in the day, the 13-year-old Jewelent, who was previously campaigned by Clare Abbott, filled the runner-up spot in the CCI4*-L at Tryon, North Carolina where he was ridden by the USA’s Phillip Dutton.
Incidentally, the winner, Cooley Nutcracker, was bred in Co Donegal by Gary Doherty, the third, Cooley Candyman, was bred in Co Sligo by Thomas Anthony Jones while the fourth, Carsonstown, was bred in Co Down by John Carlisle and the late Neil McCluskey.
Out of five meetings in Britain from last Saturday to Wednesday inclusive, I only found one winner with local connections, the Roy McMurray-bred 11-year-old gelding Caspers Court (Court Cave – Kindle Ball, by Kaldounevees) who landed the PPORA conditions race for novice riders in the hands of Hannah Morgan.
THE vast majority of the flat jockeys mentioned regularly in this column started their careers on the pony racing circuit and one such young rider who enjoyed a first success last weekend was Ballyare’s Ben Lecky who landed Sunday’s two-mile open at Carndonagh on Tommy K.
Banbridge native Patsy Cosgrave enjoyed a rewarding weekend which started with a win at Ascot on Friday last followed by a double at Leicester the following afternoon. On Sunday, he travelled over to Longchamp where he landed the seven-furlong conditions race on Chaldero. That Morandi gelding is trained in the Czech Republic by Miroslav Nieslanik whose Ponntos, a seven-year-old horse by Power, finished third under Cosgrave in the five-furlong Prix de Saint-Georges (Group 3).
On the level in Britain, Oisin Orr recorded a double on Monday at Catterick and Darragh Keenan partnered a winner at Bath on Wednesday while at home Dylan Browne McMonagle rode one winner at Roscommon on Monday and another the following evening at Killarney.
Flat winners
Two flat winners to note were the Johnny Murtagh-trained pair Fantazy Man (at Ballinrobe last Friday week) and Zodiac Bear (at Leopardstown on Sunday) who both scored in the colours of McPeake Investments (NI) Ltd.
Over jumps, Mark McNiff saddled two winners on Tuesday at Sligo where the maiden hurdle was won by the Berry Farms-bred seven-year-old Kate Knows Best (Mount Nelson – Diva Antonia, by King’s Theatre).
The Michael Cave-bred six-year-old gelding Moonshine Man (Sea Moon – Getout, by Getaway) won at Hereford last Friday week and the Patricia Duffin-bred nine-year-old gelding Harbour Lake (Shantou – Aibrean, by Winged Love) scored on Sunday at Hadock.
On the jockey front, there was a win at Market Rasen last Friday week for Danny McMenamin while Caoilin Quinn was on the mark at Plumpton on Sunday.
On Wednesday at Perth, the handicap hurdle was won by the seven-year-old Blue Bresil mare Happy Index who is trained by Olly Murphy for a foursome comprising Dennis Tumelty, Gary O’Brien, Aidan Kerin and Brian Sheerin.