THE results at Tyrella last Saturday went very much in favour of northern trainers who saddled five of the six winners with four of these being bred in the region.

I have written extensively in recent weeks about the pedigree of the Stuart Crawford-trained Kilinakin who, on his third start, won the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden under the handler’s brother, Ben.

From the family of next week’s Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Chase entry Mendip Express, Fiddling The Facts, For Non Stop etc, the 2010 Definite Article chesnut is a half-brother to Sanibel Island who finished second on his only start to date in a Down Royal bumper early last month. The pair, who are out of the Topanoora mare Topanberry, were bred by Elizabeth ‘Hammy’ Hamilton but Saturday’s winner ran in the colours of her partner, David Mitchell.

An owner-breeder on the mark was Gilford’s Pauline Whitten whose Winged Love bay Isn’t She Lovely made all the running to land the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden by four lengths from the Crawford brothers’ Alkajazz, setting up a treble for rider Mark O’Hare in the process.

Making her first appearance of the season, and her fourth career start, Isn’t She Lovely is the third of four foals recorded with Weatherbys out of the King Persian mare Is’nt She Gorgeous, an unraced half-sister to Isn’t He Gorgeous whose three wins on the flat in the US included one at listed level. In 2013 Is’nt She Gorgeous had a grey colt by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Billys Clover.

The eight-year-old Desert King gelding Whinstone Dee, who brought up O’Hare’s hat-trick when landing Saturday’s confined hunt winners’ race in the colours of her handler Eamon McCann, was bred in Donaghadee by the Dee Racing Syndicate.

Having his third start between the flags following 10 outings on the track, Whinstone Dee is not too surprisingly a half-brother to Whinstone Boy (by Supreme Leader) whose half-dozen victories on the racecourse included the 2010 running of the Thyestes Chase.

Portadown’s Mark McCrory recorded his first point-to-point success when claiming the concluding older horses’ maiden for novice riders on Lisnagreggan who was finishing for just the second time in 10 outings.

Trained in Randalstown by William Gault for himself and Paul Martin, the seven-year-old Beat Of Drums gelding was bred on the Warrenpoint side of Newry by Colman Rooney out of an Insan mare.

DONATED

During racing on Saturday, a collection by Bryan Gault from bookmakers and clerks saw £181 being donated for Marie Curie.

Bryan was delighted to report that by mid-week the amount raised for the charity stood at £750 and that he had upped his expectations to £1,500 this year.

To check out Bryan’s brilliant statistics on the Cheltenham Festival just Google ‘Gaultstats’ while to donate to Marie Curie, please see https://www.justgiving.com/Gaultstats2016.

Disappointingly for the compiler, Bryan won’t be travelling over to the Cotswolds this year but his tips will be on the website for each day of the festival. “Staying at home in North Down might be cheaper but not as passionate!” he declared.