IF a journey into Co Monaghan seemed too far for National Hunt breeders in Northern Ireland, the good news is that Primary, sire of last Saturday’s impressive Grade 1 Clarence House Chase winner First Flow, has been sold by Gladys and Eamon McArdle of Drumhowan Stud and is to stand with Hugh Suffern at Tullyraine House, Banbridge. See page 22 for further details.

THE Jet Away five-year-old Hollymount, who, trained by Stuart Crawford, carried the colours of her breeder Jane Buchanan to victory in a mares’ bumper at Carlisle in December, on her only run to date, topped the transactions at Goffs UK’s online January Sale on Tuesday. See page 47 for further details.

ARMAGH owner Mark Devlin has been well-rewarded for his autumn purchase of the Ado McGuinness-trained War Hero as the six-year-old Declaration Of War gelding won for the second time in his ownership when landing the six-furlong handicap at Dundalk last Friday evening.

THIS week members of the horse world in Northern Ireland, from Pony Club level through to point-to-points, were saddened to learn of the death of Geraldine Walton.

The Co Waterford native, who lived most of her life in Co Down and was a long time secretary of the Newry Hunt, had a most distinctive voice with a wonderful vocabulary and clear diction which, for many years, could be heard over the PA systems at hunter trials, horse trials and point-to-points.

A full appreciation will appear in the Irish Horse World pages of this newspaper next Saturday.