BOTH Paddy Young and Carol Ann Sloan were on the mark at the Montpelier Hunt meeting in Virginia last Saturday.

Young was first of the pair to strike when landing the Montpelier Cup on the Jack Fisher-trained En Fuego who saw off the Irish-bred Saint Jerome by one and three-quarters of a length.

The runner-up, a four-year-old Jeremy gelding out of the Cadeaux Genereux mare Eminence Gift, was bred in Co Down by Pat Turley. Through Meadowlands Stud as consignor, Pat is sending the bay gelding’s half-brother by Born To Sea to Tattersalls’ foal sale in Newmarket at the end of the month.

Saint Jerome, who won three flat and two hurdle races in England, is now trained by Cyril Murphy for Irvin Naylor, connections also of the Sloan-partnered Decoy Daddy who later won the Noel Laing Hurdle for the fourth time. The Lord Of Appeal 12-year-old, who was winning for the third time in three starts this year, was bred by Charles Persse.

Franco on hols

RACEGOERS at Maralin today will be disappointed to find that their usual provider of televised racing, Franco Hughes, is an absentee.

After attending the two-day Festival in Down Royal, Franco took himself off to Australia for the Melbourne Cup and has stayed on for a few days’ holiday. It’s sometimes confusing talking to, or rather listening to, Franco so we’re not entirely sure of his return date.