THREE years on from his first – and only other – training success, Co Armagh’s Paddy Fegan returned to Ballinrobe on Tuesday to land the two and a half mile mares’ maiden hurdle with Denis Robb’s homebred Melbourne Lady.

The six-year-old Hawkeye bay made most of the running to score by eight and a half lengths on just her third start over jumps having previously finished third over two miles at Down Royal late last month. She was ridden by Matty Bowes who, when required, rides out at Paddy’s Keady yard two or three mornings a week.

“Melbourne Lady is the only horse I have in work at present,” reported a delighted Fegan. “I have a couple in for breaking and have two pointers coming in on Monday. The training is only a sideline really as I mainly run a rehab yard (Meadowview Spa Rehabilitation Yard) where I concentrate on racehorses with the odd eventer also coming in for treatment.

“The spa is also for humans (Keady Sports Spa) and most of the local county GAA teams have sent players here and we have soccer and rugby players as well. We have fully-fitted changing rooms and cater for male and female players.”

THE Drogheda Memorial Fund is to benefit from monies raised at a party night being organised by Suzanne Lynch in the Trim Castle Hotel on Saturday, November 22nd.

Suzanne is hoping that a large contingent of Northern racing and point-to-point fans will travel down for the party where there will be a buffet supper and a great band. Further details will be available in due course.

A REMINDER that entries close at noon on Tuesday for the first point-to-point of the 2014/15 season, the Mid-Antrim fixture at Toomebridge where the fences have all been re-birched.

Winners at this meeting last year included Katachenko, who has since landed two hurdle races and been well placed for the Donald McCain yard, and Five In A Row who has won two bumpers for North Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison.

THE Loughanmore graduate Blaklion, winner of a Tinahely maiden in January under Steven Clements, won on his first start over hurdles on Wednesday at Perth.

Trained since that Co Wicklow success by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the five-year-old Kayf Tara gelding won bumpers on his only two outings at Ffos Las and Haydock in the spring. He was sent off favourite for those races and was again market leader at Perth where the trainer’s son Sam was once more in the saddle.

Second on Wednesday in the extended two and a half mile novices’ hurdle was the Clements-ridden Pumped Up Kicks trained by Gordon Elliott for the rider’s father Jim and Michael McCarthy. Elliott supplied Tony McCoy with his 135th winner of the season in the following claiming hurdle on Moss Street.

The Rose Dobbin-trained Robin’s Command once again showed his liking for the Scottish track when winning for the third time there in the hands of Craig Nichols. The seven-year-old grey gelding is by Tikkanen.

WE are glad to report a big improvement in the show jumping performance of the ex-pointer Standbyyourman who lowered just one coloured pole last Saturday at Knockany where he finished fifth (of 16) in the EI Amateur 90 class. The Winged Love six-year-old was ridden by Ben Stevenson who is hosting a Derby competition today at Tullylish.

Having won the Association of Irish Riding Clubs’ advanced intermediate eventing championships earlier in the month, the Mohaajir gelding Mr Brown made his Eventing Ireland debut at Knockany.

The 14-year-old, who was bred in Co Down by Bill and Alan Dunlop and another to have had a very short racing career, finished sixth of 12 in the EI Amateur 100 class under his owner Caroline McQuillan. The bay was well in the lead after dressage but made an uncharacteristic error across the country.

Anyone having to deal with veterinary surgeon Callie Berry should congratulate her on the fine win recorded by her daughter Susie and the French-bred gelding Bolero de Ste Hermelle at the international event in Ballindenisk last weekend. Other Northern winners were Clare Abbott, Charlotte Dixon (on the amazing 19-year-old thoroughbred mare Shadow Light) and Joseph Murphy.