PUNTERS might not have been happy but there couldn’t have been a better result to Saturday’s SIS, Proud Sponsors of Irish Racing (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race at Down Royal, as the final contest of the 2026 BetVictor Festival of Racing was won by the locally-owned, trained, ridden and bred 100/1 shot Staton.

The Diamond Boy five-year-old runs in the colours of Co Antrim’s Karen McNeilly, who started the bay in the point-to-point field, sending him out to finish fifth on his only run as a four-year-old at Castle Irvine, Necarne and then third and fourth at Tyrella and Portrush last March.

As has been the case since he took out a licence seven years ago, McNeilly’s fiancé, farrier Paul Traynor, took over the training of Staton for the track where he had two runs over hurdles, finishing down the field at Bellewstown and at Navan.

Perhaps the shorter journey to Down Royal, or the shorter trip of Saturday’s bumper, suited the gelding better as, prominent throughout, he led four furlongs down under Anna McGuinness and went away to win by 12 lengths from Some See Stars, who was ridden by Holly Ross for her grandparents Mary (owner) and Arthur (trainer) Moore.

Staton was one of two foals who McNeilly and Traynor bought in 2023 from John and Gail Kidd of Ballyash Stud. “He was a bit of a live wire on the day he appeared in the ring at the (2021) Tatts November Sale, but Karen really liked him and was determined to buy him,” commented Traynor.

Failing to find a buyer in the ring that day, but purchased at a later date by the couple was the Success Days gelding Kershaw, who McNeilly saddled to finish second in a four-year-old maiden at Loughanmore in April 2025.

Transferred to Traynor’s care, the bay finished fourth in a bumper at last year’s Boxing Day meeting at Down Royal before landing one at Kilbeggan in April. He was then sold privately to Lucinda Russell for whom, on his only start to date, he won a maiden hurdle at Perth last month.

Determined

“Lucinda and Peter Scudamore are probably the only people who could pry this fellow away from Karen, as she is determined to hold on to him,” said Traynor, who was delighted with the ride Staton received last Saturday.

“Anna works two days a week for Willie Mullins, but then does a lot of freelance work around Meath and is always willing to meet us at the Moira gallops when we ask her; she’s always very helpful.

“We’re going to stick to bumpers with him for now, which restricts us a bit as, with his hurdle runs, he can’t run in any of those big bumpers in England. To tell you the truth, we have a nice five-year-old and two nice four-year-olds, which will probably go down the bumper route as well.

“We’d normally start them off in the points - and the five-year-old might run in one before Christmas - but, as a small yard, it’s hard to get one of the good jockeys for those younger horse maidens, so we’re thinking of the bumpers instead.”

Sell well

Karen appreciates that Staton and Kershaw were cheaply purchased from the Kidds. “John and Gail deserved to get a lot more for the pair, but then we wouldn’t have been able to afford them! I hope they sell well at Tatts next week.”

Staton is the first of five foals out of the September Storm mare Mergeela, whose colt foal by Storm The Stars is coming up as Lot 278 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. As mentioned last week, the bumper-winning Mergeela is an own-sister to Longhouse Sale out of an unraced Dushyantor half-sister to Line Ball and Rocco. Ballyash are also consigning the Success Days colt catalogued as Lot 461.

IT was disappointing that Co Meath trainer Noel Meade didn’t record his 3,000th career success at the BetVictor Festival of Racing at Down Royal, where Pat Sloan’s Blake came closest to helping him do so when finishing second in Friday’s Listed bottlegreen Hurdle under Sam Ewing.

However, when the magic number was reached in the three-mile handicap hurdle on Tuesday at Fairyhouse, it was Templepatrick native Ewing who got Noel Meade Racing Ltd’s Mickey Cohen up to win by a nose, a head and a short head.

Ewing was completing a quick double on the eight-race card having landed the preceding race, division two of the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle, on the Peter Fahey-trained 100/30 favourite King Of The Greys, who scored by the more comfortable margin of six and a half lengths.

AT the time of writing, four northern yards have entered horses in next Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale, the most recent point-to-point winner among them being Harper Brown, who landed the opening four-year-old maiden - sponsored by the sale - at Damma House last Sunday.

The Walk In The Park gelding, who is the first foal out of a hurdle-winning Shirocco mare, is currently trained by Caroline McCaldin for her father Wilson Dennison. The winner was ridden by Orán McGill, who had also been on board on his two previous starts.

WHILE it was a shame that a fall at Bellewstown in late August scuppered Dylan Browne McMonagle’s chances of retaining the flat jockeys’ title, there are some local connections to Billy Lee who was crowned the 2026 champion at the Curragh last Sunday.

The Co Limerick native, who rounded off the campaign by landing the concluding Listed QuinnBet Finale Stakes on the Willie Mullins-trained Thread Of Gold, is married to Co Down-born Catriona MacNabb. Also, during the turf season, Lee rode winners for local trainers Natalia Lupini and Andy Oliver.

The latter saddled his final winner of the turf season last Thursday week at Punchestown, where his own and Team Valor International’s 2023 Starman filly Celestial Siren won the seven-furlong maiden for three-year-olds and upwards by half a length in the hands of Gary Carroll.

Also on the flat here at home, Luke McAteer landed the seven-furlong handicap last Sunday at the Curragh where Alnofoor, who runs in the colours of David Laverty and Norman Stenhouse was the 40/1 winner of the Mongey Communications Sprint Handicap.

Britain

Trained by Claire O’Connell, the eight-year-old Twilight Son gelding was returned as the 6/4 favourite when winning the opening five-furlong handicap at Musselburgh on Wednesday.

Oisin Orr was also on the mark at that Scottish meeting, while Paddy Bradley rode a winner at Newmarket on Saturday.

On the same day but over jumps, Danny McMenamin visited the winner’s enclosure at Wetherby, Brian Hughes partnered a winner at Carlisle on Sunday before recording a double on Tuesday at Sedgefield. On the Monday, Co Antrim-born trainer Neil Mulholland saddled a treble at Plumpton.

On the same afternoon but at Southwell, the J.P. King-bred five-year-old gelding Midnight Jukebox (Jukebox Jury - Midnight Streaker, by Midnight Legend) won a maiden hurdle, having previously won on his two starts in bumpers.

On Saturday at Wetherby, the three-mile bet365 Handicap Chase was won by the Barbara Hanna-bred six-year-old gelding Sledgehammer (Affinisea - Kegster, by Bach).

LURGAN’s Shileen McConville was once again winner of a best dressed lady award when proving the judges’ choice at Down Royal last Saturday, which was day two of the 2026 BetVictor Festival of Racing.

This year’s award was sponsored by Madrí Excepcional, who provided the prize of a £3,000 travel voucher for the winner. In the category of best dressed male, Alan Greer from Lisburn stole the show, earning him a bespoke, made-to-order suit from prize sponsor Freddie Hatchett. Raymond and Gillian Gilbourne from Cork were named the day’s best dressed couple, winning a luxury two-night stay in The Bedford Hotel, Belfast.