IF he didn’t ride so well, you’d get sick of watching Dylan Browne McMonagle booting home so many winners!

From last Thursday week up to this Wednesday (and yes, I know, he had more on Thursday), the Co Donegal native visited the winner’s enclosure six times, recording doubles at Down Royal on Friday and at Ballinrobe on Monday.

Paddy McGettigan was also on the mark at that western meeting and again at Naas on Wednesday, while over jumps, Anna McGuinness scored at Killarney last Thursday week and a day later at the same track, there was a win for Simon Torrens.

Amateur Dara McGill came in for a winning spare ride on Tuesday at Ballinrobe where he landed division two of the two-mile, six-furlong handicap hurdle on the Noel Kelly-trained Master Vic who scored by eight and a half lengths in the colours of Ryan Turner.

On the jockey front in Britain, Brian Hughes struck twice at Cartmel on Monday but Patsy Cosgrave’s two wins on the flat were more widely spread out, coming at Haydock last Friday and at Lingfield on Tuesday. Oisin Orr also partnered a winner on that Haydock card and Darragh Keenan stuck at the same track on Saturday.

Breeding

On the breeding front, there as a win at Down Royal last Friday for the Andrew McNally-bred four-year-old filly Mo Ghille Mor (Zoffany – First Love, by Galileo), at Ayr on Monday for the Colin Kennedy-bred 10-year-old gelding Danzan (Lawman – Charanga, by Cadeaux Genereux), at Ballinrobe on Monday for the Dean Harron-bred three-year-old filly Kashel Spring (Australia – Karakama, by Redoute’s Choice) and at the same track on Tuesday for the Sean McEloy-bred five-year-old gelding Warriors Wood (Masked Marvel – Santa Valentina, by Stormy River) who started his racing career with Mark O’Hare.

The former Paddy Turley-trained Nouvotic justified 6/4 favouritism in the near two and a half-mile beginners’ chase at Wexford on Wednesday when, earlier in the day, the Pat/Paddy/Patrick Turley-bred eight-year-old gelding Amathus (Anjaal – Effige, by Oratorio) won at Salisbury.

And then there was Pat McKenna who saddled the McKenna Partnership’s five-year-old Havana Grey gelding Cuban Grey to win a five-furlong handicap at the Curragh on Sunday – when I didn’t nap him!

IF you fancy a bit of exercise today, head over to the Craigavon area where Declan and Becky Cullen are hosting an Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day event at The Clare which includes a dedicated thoroughbred class.

There are 10 entries in the EI100 class, three of them being ridden by Connor McClory for owner/breeders Vina and Alfred Buller while another three are down to be partnered by Molly Evans. Casey Webb, who works nearby for the Smith Brothers’ eventing yard but comes from a racing family, is set to ride an unnamed five-year-old mare by Linda’s Lad.

Bottlegreen adds its presence to Down Royal

HAVING staged their very successful Ampion race evening last Friday, there was no resting on their laurels for the team at Down Royal who this week announced a new partnership with bottlegreen.

This agreement will see the premium soft drinks company rebrand one of the track’s hospitality spaces as the ‘bottlegreen Suite’ further cementing the brand’s presence and elevating the race day experience for guests.

Bottlegreen is part of the SHS Group portfolio – a local company owned by two families with a rich heritage and longstanding passion for horse racing in Northern Ireland.

The new partnership builds on bottlegreen’s successful sponsorship of Ladies Day at Down Royal’s Summer Festival of Racing for the past two years. The brand’s presence has proved to be a hit with racegoers, prompting this extended agreement to further enhance the guest experience at the racecourse.

Chloe Ferris, Commercial Director at Down Royal Racecourse said: “Welcoming bottlegreen as our partner is an exciting step forward following their hugely successful sponsorship of Ladies Day over the past two years. Their commitment to quality, craft and flavour innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver a premium experience for all our racegoers.

“We’re proud to partner with SHS Group, a business with deep roots in Northern Ireland and strong ties to the racing community. This long-term agreement is a natural progression of a fantastic relationship, and we look forward to working closely with them to further elevate our guest offering.”

Courtney Cameron, National Account Manager for SHS Drinks said: “Forming this partnership with Down Royal racecourse, Northern Ireland’s premier racing venue, is a significant milestone for bottlegreen.

“As part of the SHS Family, which has a long-standing passion for horse racing, we see this as an ideal opportunity to bring bottlegreen to a wider audience and become part of such an iconic sporting destination. This collaboration gives us a powerful platform to showcase the bottlegreen range to guests who appreciate great taste and natural ingredients, and we look forward to enhancing their race day experience.”