STUART Crawford’s Larne yard really struck form over the past week with winners on the racecourse on Saturday and Monday and two at the Louth Foxhounds’ point-to-point on Sunday.

It was particularly good to see the Chris Johnson-owned and bred Legacy Thor make all to land division one of the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle at Navan on Saturday as connections had a point to prove.

The six-year-old Gold Well gelding was partnered by Crawford’s amateur brother Ben who had also been on board the bay when, according to the official report from the meeting at Fairyhouse seven day previously, he “refused to jump off when under starters orders” and “would be liable to future suspension” if he repeated that performance. To me, the keen-running bay appeared disappointed by the delay to the start at Fairyhouse.

Legacy Thor, who won a bumper at Downpatrick in May last year and had been placed over hurdles in his two other outings this season, is the first of just two foals to-date out of the once-raced McGladdery.

That Synefos mare, who was bred by Johnson’s neighbour Billy McGladdery, is a half-sister to the Johnson-bred Gold Well mare Legacy Gold who won three bumpers (including a listed mares’ race at Aintree) and three hurdle races when trained first by Crawford and then by David Pipe. She was also Grade 1-placed over hurdles. Their dam, Durgams Delight, was a half-sister to Mossbank.

“There’s a bit of a story to this fellow,” said Johnson in relation to Legacy Thor. “His dam, who’s 16 now, was in training as a five-year-old with Mervyn Torrens who was really impressed by her but, unfortunately, she broke down on both front legs when running in a bumper at Wexford.

“Myself and my wife Anita took her home and patched her up and a friend of Anita’s then started doing dressage on her. Legacy Gold was starting to show some form at this stage and when the friend got pregnant we were only too delighted to take the mare back.

“Three days later we sent her south to be covered by Gold Well and, three days after that, Gold Well was dead so this fellow is one of the last of his foals.

“Things were fine at first when he was born but, 24 hours later when I went out to check on him he was lying on his back with his legs in the air. Thankfully, our vet, Howard Whelan, put three hours work into saving him and he pulled through.

“We sent him to Geordie Stewart to be broken, as Geordie’s just a genius at that job, and then he went on to Stuart. His three-year-old half-sister by Arcadio will be going to Geordie in January and then she too will be trained by Stuart. McGladdery will be heading down to Arctic Tack Stud in the spring and, chances are, that she will be covered again by Arcadio.

“I get to see Legacy Thor each month when I go to pay Stuart and, when I did so on Monday, I can tell you he definitely knew he had won!” concluded a delighted Johnson.

At Tattersalls, the Crawfords won division two of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden with the French-bred newcomer Gold Cup Bailly, one of half-a-dozen or so young horses Stuart is training for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, and they doubled up when landing the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale five-year-old mares’ maiden with the twice-previously raced Milan bay, Lady Boss, who is owned by Cushendun’s Clare McNeill.

On Monday, Brian Hughes partnered the Crawford-trained Kinnegad Lad to victory in the bumper at Musselburgh. The four-year-old Scorpion gelding, who had finished fifth on his only previous start at Down Royal at the end of October, runs in the colours of Stephen Crowe and Michael Carnduff from Newtownards.

Hughes was completing a double, while there was also a win earlier in the afternoon for Danny McMenamin who, joining forces with Downpatrick trainer Paddy Turley, landed the National Hunt novices’ hurdle with Mig Des Taillons. The French-bred Montmatre gelding, who was winning for the third time this season, is owned by Turley’s wife Mary and Philip Polly.