THE final flat fixture of the year at Down Royal last Monday saw wins for two local trainers and, while chronologically we should start the other way around, we’re going to kick off with the Andy Oliver-trained Faro Island who, on his fourth start, landed the Pravha Handicap under Billy Lee.
Bred in England by the Cheveley Park Stud and a 35,000gns purchase by Oliver at the 2023 yearling sales at Tattersalls Newmarket, the three-year-old Ulysses gelding won in the colours of Jim Nicholson, who did so much to upgrade racing and the facilities at Down Royal in his 22 years as chairman and whose name of course graced the track’s Grade 1 chase for roughly 20 seasons.
Faro Island, who is out of a dual-winning Pivotal half-sister to the listed winner Benefit (by Acclamation), is due to come up as Lot 454 at Tattersalls’ autumn horses-in-training sale at the end of the month.
The preceding race on Monday, the Molson Coors Beverage Company Handicap over seven furlongs, was won by the Natalia Lupini-trained, Sam Coen-ridden 5/2 favourite Bishopton.
The three-year-old Invincible Spirit gelding, who was a 40,000gns purchase by the trainer at last year’s horses-in-training sale, was following up his Dundalk success last month for owners Nigel O’Hare, David Sloan, Milena Mocchetti and the Kabin Racing Syndicate.
The final race, the Molson Coors Beverage Company Handicap over a mile and five furlongs, was won by the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Glenroyal.
The three-year-old Australia gelding was declared to have scored by a neck by judge Andrew McKeever, who was retiring the next day from the IHRB.
Andrew worked for many years in various roles on the northern circuit and we wish him the best for the future.
Three days earlier, Oliver sent out Best Suggestion to win the opening six-furlong claiming maiden for three-year-olds and upwards at Dundalk.
The 2022 Invincible Army gelding, who scored by a neck as the even-money favourite on his eighth start, won in the colours of Neil Dalzell but is set for a change of livery having been claimed for €10,000 by Co Meath trainer John McConnell.
Browne McMonagle also rode a winner at Dundalk last Friday, one at the Curragh on Sunday and another at Cork on Tuesday which brought his seasonal total to 83.
On the flat across the water, Oisin Orr partnered a winner at Hamilton on Monday while, over jumps, there were wins for Brian Hughes at Perth on Thursday last and at Sedgefield on Tuesday, and a first of the season for Daire McConville at Worcester on Friday.
THE 2025/’26 point-to-point season kicks off today with the Mid-Antrim fixture at Toomebridge.
The form of northern pointing got a boost in the US last Saturday when the two-mile maiden hurdle at the Shawan Downs’ meeting in Hunt Valley, Maryland was won by Max’d Out, a €2,000 foal purchase by Stephen Magee, although he didn’t change base at that stage.
Last April, on the second of two runs for Co Wexford owner/trainer Matthew Flynn O’Connor, the Maxios gelding won the Dennison JCB four-year-old auction maiden at Loughanmore. Last Saturday, the Evan Dwan-ridden bay won by five and a quarter lengths in the colours of Irvin Naylor. Current trainer Tom Garner purchased Max’d Out for £65,000 at Doncaster in May.
Leslie Young saddled two winners at the same meeting, her double being initiated in the two-mile handicap hurdle by Rucker Road who, too, won on the second of his two starts for Flynn O’Connor in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballycrystal in April. The Malinas bay next appeared at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale that month where he was knocked down to Hamish Macauley Bloodstock for £92,000.
Looking back
On this weekend 20 years ago, the Co Down Staghounds opened the campaign at Loughbrickland.
That afternoon, no rider partnered more than one winner on the eight-race card with the honours being divided between Mark O’Hare, Nigel Slevin, Jason McKeown, Derek O’Connor, Clare MacMahon, Liz Lalor, Robbie McNally and Eamon Magee.
The Mid-Antrims held their autumn meeting two weeks later at Toomebridge where, on the six-race card, MacMahon, McNally and O’Connor were again on the mark as were Andrew Duff, Corky Carroll and J.D. Moore.
In the autumn of 2015, the Mid-Antrims ran twice at Toomebridge. On Saturday, September 26th, Mark O’Hare recorded a double for Liam Lennon while there were wins also for Derek O’Connor, Barry O’Neill and Jason McKeown.
Only three of the six runners in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden managed to finish, led home by the Noel Kelly-trained 6/4 favourite Maz Majecc on whom the handler’s nephew, Steven Kelly, recorded his sole success between the flags.
On Saturday, October 15th, there were wins for two odds-on shots who had been on the mark the previous month.
Barry O’Neill again joined forces with David Christie to land the open with Alistair Corrigan’s You Must Know Me while Colin McBratney saddled Frances Savage’s Quiet Account to claim the winners of two. The Jimble gelding was ridden by Noel McParlan on this occasion having been partnered by Jason McKeown two weeks earlier.
Mark O’Hare and Derek O’Connor were again among the winners as were Rob James and John Doyle.
AMONG those who attended the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Northern Region 2024 breeding and racing awards at Downpatrick racecourse on Friday, September 19th were John and Gail Kidd of Ballyash Stud.
Gail’s name appeared twice in the list of locally-bred National Hunt winners through the exploits of the 2019 gelding Upfordebate (by Mount Nelson) and his 2017 half-brother Duke Of Deception (by September Storm).
While the latter, who has five wins to his credit, hasn’t run since landing an extended three-mile, one-furlong handicap chase at Haydock in April, Upfordebate has been a bit busier. The bay, who had previously scored over hurdles, won his second chase on the trot when justifying 15/8 favouritism by a length and a half under Brian Hughes at Perth last Thursday week.
The pair are out of the Brian Boru mare Mrs Peachey whose late May colt by Marcel will be heading to the November National Hunt Sale at Tattersalls Ireland along with four other foals and two yearlings being consigned by Ballyash.
The first race at Perth was won by the Gareth Metcalfe-bred six-year-old mare Mountain Molly (Mount Nelson - Reynard’s Glen, by Old Vic).
On the flat, Dean Harron, another of those who attended the awards’ lunch, is credited with breeding last Friday’s Dundalk winner the eight-year-old gelding Punk Poet (Power - Just Ching, by Fastnet Rock). The one-mile, five-furlong handicap at Bath on Tuesday was won by the Thomas Foy-bred six-year-old mare Endofastorm (Galileo Gold - Red Fuschia, by Polish Precedent).
The Northern Bloodstock Agency bred two winners in the period under review, the nine-year-old gelding Mark’s Choice (Bungle Inthejungle - Ramamara, by Trans Island), who scored at Ripon on Saturday, and the two-year-old colt Fanjove (Nando Parrado - Company Jeed, by Fast Company), who got off the mark at the third attempt at Newcastle on Tuesday.
WHILE Down Royal held its last flat meeting of the year, the Molson Coors Raceday, on Monday, Downpatrick is staging its final fixture of 2025, the End of Season Raceday, next Friday when there will be live music before and after racing.
The corresponding fixture 12 months ago was marked by a double in the last two races for north of England trainer Rebecca Menzies while there were wins also for two local handlers on the card.
Harry Smyth saddled the Liam Cosgrave-bred Portnacoo to justify favouritism in the extended two-mile, one-furlong Pro Solar NI, Sam Downey Memorial Handicap Hurdle roughly an hour before the Keith Watson-trained Jimli’s Cave landed the Denis Macauley Memorial Handicap Hurdle over two miles and six furlongs.