COLONEL Mustard has long been the apple of Lorna Fowler’s eye and, on the countdown to his 11th birthday, he showed bundles of his old enthusiasm to upset 1/3 favourite Sixandahalf in Sligo’s feature Solar Generation Hurdle.

It’s hard to believe, given how many big efforts he’s posted at marquee festivals throughout his career, but this was the four-time Grade 1-placed performer’s first win since a maiden hurdle victory at Galway back in October 2021. He had finished in the prize money on all 20 of his starts in between.

John Shinnick seized the initiative before the turn for home on the 3/1 shot, who kept finding well to deny last season’s Cheltenham Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Sixandahalf. It was a three-and-a-half-length victory that surely would have meant plenty to winning owners Alex Frost, Pete Davies and Harry Fowler.

“He did that very nicely and deserved to, really, on ratings,” said the winning trainer, after ending Colonel Mustard’s 1,462-day drought.

“I say it every year, he comes back in equally good form if not better. He’s the kind of horse that goes down to the gallop every day like it’s the first day he’s gone on it. He still enjoys it and you’re more than halfway there if you have that.

“We’ve minded him enough that we’ve got the longevity out of him. He does love the big occasion, though - he thrives off it and he has loads of ability.”

Easy Time

What looked a golden opportunity on paper for Additional Time proved exactly that in the extended-three-mile-one-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle - beating just two finishers with ease as 1/3 favourite for John McConnell, Simon Torrens and Derek Kierans.

It was only an eight-day turnaround from the £160,000 point-to-point recruit’s last start at Thurles, when finishing first past the post in a maiden hurdle only to be demoted to second over interference. He was still well able to come home a 23-length winner on his fourth start for new connections, even if he didn’t look totally suited to the demands of how the race unfolded.

Torrens said: “It’s a case of job done but it wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it was going to be. He’s a big individual and this track was plenty sharp and tight for him. Ideally, I’d have liked a lead for longer, but just with the nature of the race we were in, I had to send him on a bit earlier than I would have liked.

“When I got left in front going to two out, I thought for a moment that he was going to stop, he was having a good look around. But anyway, he did what he had to do, there was no real strength in depth to the race.

“He’s a big frame of a horse and I’d say he’s not all there mentally yet.”

HEATHER Heffernan is one of the more recognisable faces on Irish racecourses through her work with Race Displays, and her partner James Fahey’s upwardly-mobile yard, and she enjoyed a day she’ll never forget when riding her first winner aboard Insouciant Dallier - in her own colours, for good measure.

Making his first start since switching stables privately to the Fahey team, it was a case of 10th time lucky for the 4/1 shot, who saved his best for the closing stages to run down Willie Mullins-trained 13/8 favourite Are You Around.

This was Heffernan’s 38th ride under rules, winning the same John Thomas McNamara Series Q.R. Maiden Hurdle that provided her with a first mount over hurdles in 2023.

“I love Sligo, it’s been a very lucky track for James’ yard, so it’s nice to ride my first ever winner here,” said a delighted Heffernan.

“It was a bit bumpy; he was a little keen with me at first and I just found myself clipping on heels. But after that, he did everything I asked of him. He stayed going well and I think I had more of a blow than he did!”

Lady on the up

On the whole, it was a challenging day at the office for favourite backers - starting with another Mullins-trained shot being turned over in the opening Sligo Fillies Maiden Hurdle.

Paul Townend made the long journey west for one ride aboard 8/11 favourite Mahon Falls, but she had no answer to the improving Our Lucky Lady (5/1), who built nicely on her recent 150/1 third at Thurles to get off the mark under Cian Cullinan.

Speaking after the commanding, six-length success, winning trainer Paul Fahey said: “She had a very unlucky summer, with draws and getting boxed in, and I kept telling the lads to be patient, that she’s a good filly.

“It wasn’t ideal running her back just eight days after Thurles but these four-year-old fillies maidens are very scarce, so we said we’d have a go.”

Sligo smiles

Jaadil (5/2) continued the theme of four straight favourites filling the runner-up spot on the card in the Callan Tansey Mares Handicap Hurdle, as You Make Me Smile recorded her second course win of the year for Pat Fahy.

Representing a partnership of locally-based Trevor and Ryan Hennessy, alongside Alan Fahy, the seven-year-old mare has really caught fire this season - now a three-time winner in 2025 after previously holding a 0-20 record.

Donagh Meyler delivered the six-and-a-half-length victory and said: “She missed one hurdle early on but she got into a lovely rhythm after going a circuit, and was tough as old boots the whole way to the line.

“I think one of my earliest winners was for Pat, so it’s nice to be back on the scoresheet for him. She has an entry on Monday [on the flat at Galway], so I presume if she’s fit and well, she’ll go there.”

THERE was likely a bargain winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Sligo Races Vintage Friday Handicap Hurdle later on the card, as Kinbara Hills notched the first win of his career at the 15th attempt for Sammy Wilson and Paddy O’Brien.

It was only the winner’s third start since privately joining his Co Down yard this summer, though he had gone unsold at £4,800 in an online sale in July after failing to reach the frame before.

There was a flicker of promise in the six-year-old’s most recent seventh at Fairyhouse, and he got on top close home to break the heart of plucky runner-up Mrs Biddle at 8/1. He struck by a length and a quarter in the colours of Linda Wilson.

“I wasn’t surprised,” said the winning trainer, bringing up his first success under rules since 2014.

“He’s a big horse who is improving a lot. I got him from the Crawford boys, they’d been very patient with him and he’s a horse who just needed a bit of time. We gave him that time and we’ve been rewarded. He can take a bit of a bite and he hadn’t been finishing out his races, but Paddy gave him a gem of a ride. I’m based in Comber [Co Down] and this is the only horse I have for the track at the moment.”

Course specialist

Journeys to the west have also been highly fruitful this season for John Cullen’s Cornmarket, who dug in resolutely to record his third Sligo win of the season in the concluding Sligo Races Halloween Handicap Hurdle under Alan King.

An impressive improver in recent months - progressing from a first success off 78 in May to collect off 94 here - the course specialist pulled out all the stops to beat Ilbdare at 11/2 - much to the delight of his local supporters.

Cullen, who owns the winner alongside Michael Barrett, said: “He has a lower mark over fences but we might stick to hurdles for now. We can always come back for that lower chase mark.”