IT took him a long time to do so but, Castle North, a supreme champion at two, finally got his head in front on the racecourse.

The now seven-year-old Stowaway gelding, who is trained for Rose Boyd by Willie Mullins, won the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening, having finished second at the western track over a slightly longer trip earlier last month.

The bay was bred in Bessbrook by Sean Collins out of the French-bred mare Fitanga (by Fijar Tango) whose previous winners have included the listed-winning Vertical Speed mare Tangaspeed, the Jimble brothers Jim Tango and Tango Jim and the Medaaly gelding Shrewdoperator. The bay’s first public appearance was as a yearling at Tattersalls’ 2013 November Sale and one would not have expected him to see him again until he was three at least.

However, astute Banbridge show horse dealer and bloodstock agent John Donaghy happened to see the gelding and next thing you know up he pops in the youngstock section at the Dublin Horse Show.

Much of the home work with the horse was done for Donaghy by Catherine Keenan who now works with Andy Oliver but, at Dublin, the bay was shown by Shirley Hurst.

Crowned champion

Against all the sport horses, Castle North or, as he was then known, Northern Image, won his two-year-old geldings’ class, was crowned champion two-year-old and then went on to be supreme champion young horse of the show.

The section judges that year were British bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson and Luis Alvarex Cervera who competed for Spain in both eventing and show jumping.

Sean Collins and his father Patrick were at Dublin that day to see the horse take the title and joined members of the Donaghy family for photographs with the horse and the much-sought-after Laidlaw Cup.

Castle North started his racing career with Colin McBratney for whom he ran once in a point-to-point, falling at the last when lying third in a four-year-old maiden at Kirkistown in November 2016. He was then transferred to Willie Mullins for whom he has always run well in bumpers and hurdles but, until Tuesday, failed to win.

Paul Townend, who rode the horse at Ballinrobe, is quoted as saying: “He’s an awkward ride and I was glad they went such a gallop as it made my job a bit easier.

“He’d a good run here the last day but he’s a big horse for these summer tracks. He handled the ground fine and at least he’s got his head in front now.

“He’s been a frustrating horse and we’ve had to try a lot of different things with him.”