DRAPERSTOWN’S Noel Kelly continued his successful raids on British meetings on Saturday, August 24th, when saddling two winners at Cartmel.

The first of the pair, Wooster, won the opening two-mile, one-furlong novices’ hurdle in the hands of James Bowen whose brother Sean brought up Kelly’s double in the two-mile, five-furlong handicap chase on Mash Potato.

Wooster, a five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding who was bred by Frank Dunne out of the Galileo mare Granny Bea, is owned by Sean Macklin, while Mash Potato, a nine-year-old gelding by Whipper, runs in the colours of Noel’s wife, Shauna.

Last week, Kelly announced the retirement of the 13-year-old Sesaro gelding Mighty Whitey who won a bumper, two races on the flat, five hurdle races and a chase for the Co Derry yard.

Jimmi lucky over jumps

TWO of the Northern-bred jumps winners we noted over the past two weeks scored on Wednesday just past, the first being Jimmi Chew who landed the opening near three-mile handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter.

Winning for the first time, the Alex Hales-trained Jimble six-year-old was bred by John Canavan and is the third foal out of the Bustomi mare Katie Baby who Canavan rode in all 11 of her point-to-point starts. She finished fourth twice. Her dam, the Mugatpura mare Kate Just, won twice over fences and was placed seven times; she also won three times between the flags.

Later on Wednesday, the Liam Bailey-trained Princess Nearco won the two-and-a-half-mile mares’ novices’ hurdle at Southwell, a qualifier in the ARC summer novices’ brush hurdle series. The five-year-old was bred by Kevin Maginn and is the ninth foal out of the winning Royal Jubilee. Among that King’s Theatre mare’s six other winners were the multiple scorers Bogside Theatre (by Fruits Of Love), Lindenhurst (by Captain Marvelous) and Lil Ella (by Pearl Of Love).

At Hexham, in the opening near three-mile handicap hurdle, the Alistair Whillans-trained Court Baloo won by 15 lengths to notch up his third career success.

The eight-year-old Court Cave gelding was bred by Roy McMurray and is the last of eight foals out of the Tremblant mare Tremplin, dam previously of the four-time winner Fionnegas (by Accordion).