IT was a quiet week for northern breeders but last Friday, at Uttoxeter, the Jeremy Maxwell-bred You Caught My Eye won the concluding two-mile mares’ bumper on her debut.

The Court Cave five-year-old is trained by Anthony Honeyball who, on his website, was more than happy to credit all those who were involved with the mare after she was sold by the Glebe House Stud at the Tattersalls August Sale of 2017.

“You Caught My Eye made a highly pleasing winning debut in a mares’ bumper at Uttoxeter late on Friday.

“A shrewd purchase in Eire at €2,500 in 2017 by Marie McGuiness, who broke her in and brought her on. Martin Rowe saw her at Marie’s – the mare ‘caught his eye’! Will Biddick pre trained her for a few months prior to coming to us and she arrived in good condition two and half months ago and has been going nicely at home since joining us.

“We only have a handful in full training at this time of year but her work had been encouraging and I was hopeful heading to Uttoxeter for what didn’t seem a particularly strong race. Like a lot of our better horses, You Caught My Eye briefly hit a flat spot before leading over two furlongs out and readily going clear to beat Belatrix Estrange by seven lengths. It’s encouraging that she looked very professional and was really strong at the finish under Aidan Coleman.”

You Caught My Eye is the fifth of eight recorded foals out of the French-bred Didn’t You Know who was placed twice over hurdles.

Well-related

The 2001 Trempolino mare is a an own-sister to Bounce Back whose six wins included the Grade 3 Attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown and the Grade 3 Prix de Longchamp Hurdle at Auteuil. He was also Grade 1-placed over hurdles and fences.

This is the family of Lady Blessington, Lady Vettori and Lope de Vega.

Also on Friday, and covered elsewhere, the Natalia Lupini-trained Abstraction, who is owned by the Raintree Racing Partnership, won the Magners Irish Cider Handicap over five furlongs at Down Royal where Co Antrim farrier Paul Traynor saddled his first winner. This was the eight-year-old Lusis Naturea who landed the extended mile-and-a-half apprentice handicap in the colours of the trainer’s partner, Karen McNeilly, who has owned the Multiplex gelding since he was four.

Down in Wexford, Ronan McNally’s good run continued when his Black Spot On divided the spoils in the three-mile handicap hurdle.