THE ingenuity and industry of the Co Clare Hunt is unrelenting and following a highly successful ladies’ race last year run in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland, the undoubted feature event at this year’s meeting was the Pat Smullen Legends Charity Race run in aid of Cancer Trials Ireland.

Staged as the final race on the card, the contest was the hot topic of conversation throughout the day and a fantastic atmosphere developed among the huge crowd from early afternoon in anticipation of the near two-mile flat race.

With Graham Bradley and Trevor Horgan late withdrawals, a stellar field of 18 contestants went to post including Paul Carberry, Adrian Maguire, Jason Titley, overseas-raider Willy Twiston-Davies and a host of well-known point-to-point handlers.

Successful with Rose Milan earlier in the day, Mick Winters cut out much of the early running with former dual champion point-to-point rider Tom Costello settled behind the leader.

Local-rider Jason Titley made a strong bid for honours on rounding the final bend when going clear but 1982 and 1983 champion-rider Tom Costello was not to be denied and rolled back the years late in the day to regain the initiative and win decisively at the death, with Titley hanging onto second from the fast-finishing Adrian Maguire.

Bellharbour’s fundraising efforts to support Pat Smullen’s goal to raise awareness and money for pancreatic cancer trails is on target to raise €20,000.

Pat Smullen was in attendance and was delighted with the continued support shown for Cancer Trials Ireland following on from the fundraising held on Longines Irish Champions Weekend last September.

The nine time champion flat jockey, who retired on medical grounds after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, said: “It’s just overwhelming, from what we did over Longines Irish Champions Weekend to what the Bellharbour committee did last weekend, it has just grown legs, it’s really humbling. I want to reassure everybody that all the money raised will go directly to Cancer Trials Ireland, and hopefully it will do a lot of good work in the future.

“To the Bellharbour Point-to-Point Committee, and obviously all the owners and trainers who supplied the horses, and the lads who rode in the race and the stable staff - I can’t thank you enough.”

Donations can be made to support this great cause through the Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-pat-smullen-legends-race-at-bellharbour-p2p