NORTHERN-bred winners were few and far between in the period under review but it was good to see the Stonethorn Stud Farms-owned and bred Millisle win for the second time in three starts in a two-year-old listed race over five furlongs at the Curragh last Friday.

Trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, the chesnut daughter of Starspangledbanner is the last foal out of the 1999 Indian Ridge mare Green Castle. Among the dam’s eight previous winners were Ithoughtitwasover (by Hurricane Run), Greenisland (by Fasliyev) and Glenmayne (by Duke Of Marmalade). This is the family of Green Lucia, Luchiroverte, Ravenswood, Tadwiga, etc.

Between her two wins, Millisle was an odds-on shot when beaten into second late last month at Down Royal where they host their Musgrave NI evening meeting next Friday, August 30th.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Everybreathyoutake recorded his third win in eight starts on the track (to go with one point-to-point success) when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle over two miles, seven furlongs at Killarney on Wednesday afternoon.

The five-year-old September Storm gelding was bred by Victor Reid and is the last of just four recorded produce out of the unraced Subtle Power mare Ashdale Lark. His dam was a half-sister to the five-time winner Washington Lad (by Beneficial).

Hughes’ magnificent seven

South Armagh-born National Hunt jockey Brian Hughes recorded seven winners between last Saturday and Monday with trebles at both Perth and Bangor.

Two of Hughes’s winners at the Scottish track were for Keith Dalgleish while the other was for Donald McCain. Dalgleish also supplied Hughes with is sole winning ride at Southwell on Sunday and with one of his three at Bangor the following day. McCain saddled the other two.

Downpatrick native Danny McMenamin was also on the mark at Perth where he landed the three-mile handicap hurdle on the Jim Goldie-trained Rainy City. Also from Downpatrick, Deckie Lavery won the concluding bumper at Killarney on Thursday on the Pat Martin-trained newcomer, Double Talkin Jive.

On the flat, Pat Cosgrave returned to the winner’s enclosure three times recently while there were wins also for Barry McHugh and Nathan Evans.