Walkers makes a Point for the McParlans at Downpatrick

EVEN if the action took place behind closed doors at Downpatrick, that most welcoming of tracks for locals and visitors from further afield, it was good to see racing resume in Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Four of the afternoon’s seven races ran under the sponsorship of the locally-based bookmaking firm Toals, while the name of the Co Antrim-headquartered healthcare company Randox graced the other three events.

Much was changed from this time last year but it was evident that Gordon Elliott is determined to once again hold on to the title of leading trainer at Downpatrick as he sent out four winners from seven runners over the undulating course.

Joseph O’Brien was the only other southern trainer to get a look-in as two of the winners are in the care of northern trainers.

The first of the pair to strike was Sean McParlan whose charge, Walkers Point, won a maiden hurdle for colts and geldings at odds of 50/1, with the 5/4 favourite, Ya Boy Ya, finishing half a length back in second.

The successful Golan gelding, who is out of a point-to-point-winning Oscar own-sister to Arteea and comes from the family of Identity Thief, was ridden by the trainer’s son Noel in the colours of Omagh owner Gerry McGurgan. The latter is a brother of former amateur rider James McGurgan.

Walkers Point is one of a dozen horses in work at the McParlan yard with more ready to come in following their summer’s break.

First winner

Draperstown trainer Noel Kelly saddled his first winner of the Irish National Hunt season when the Conor Orr-partnered James Boru arrived late on the scene to land division one of the two-mile, six-furlong handicap hurdle.

The seven-year-old Brian Boru gelding, who won point-to-points at Loughanmore and Necarne in May 2018 under the previously mentioned Noel McParlan, was scoring for the first time on the racecourse for his Stewartstown owner, Victor McCrea.

Talking of owners, there was a win at the Curragh on Friday for Co Down’s Hugh Ward whose Johnny Levins-trained Nordic Passage recorded his fourth career success in the evening’s six-furlong handicap.

Hopefully there will be plenty of northern trainers, owners and riders in the iconic winner’s enclosure on Friday afternoon at Down Royal where they are staging their first meeting following the lockdown.