THE magnificent Ward Union Hunt trophy was on display throughout the hunt’s meeting near Oldtown last Sunday and delighted to find her name inscribed thereon was Fidelma Toole.

The Dunshaughlin owner, whose Captain CJ landed the concluding older geldings’ maiden for novice riders on Sunday, won the trophy exactly 50 years ago at The Folly on the 1958 Vulgan gelding Barberstown, who was owned, trained and bred by her uncles, John and Peter Heron.

The pair won four other point-to-points.

The Westerner gelding Captain CJ was having his first start in Fidelma’s colours, having been purchased on the recommendation of trainer Dermot ‘Red’ McLoughlin towards the end of last year. Connections will now find a winners’ race for the six-year-old who had finished second and third on his two previous starts at Corbeagh House and Tattersalls in November.

“Dermot knew I was looking for a point-to-pointer and brought me up to Shercock to see this fellow. I liked him immediately and bought him straight away,” reported Fidelma who, following the death of her uncle John last year, took over the ownership of the 2007 King’s Best gelding Seventh Sky.

The winner of two flat races, a hurdle and six chases, the bay is in training with Charlie Mann who has him entered in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.

Fidelma was accompanied to the races by her husband James and son Peter with many of the Ward ladies joining in for the post-race photographs.

This win in the novice riders’ maiden, which was sponsored by the Considine family, brought up a double for Lar O’Carroll who had earlier been on the mark in the Devenish Nutrition winners of two on Suas Sios.

Trained by Pat Rooney, whose farm adjoins the point-to-point venue, the seven-year-old Kalanisi gelding is owned by his breeder, Kieran Ryan, a Ward Union whip, a joint-Master of the Louth Foxhounds and a leading show horse producer.

From Castlecomer, 26-year-old O’Carroll started in racing with Sam Curling and then spent two years working for Robert Tyner who gave him his first winner.

He now lives in Swords and rides out in the mornings for Paul Stafford before helping Ryan with the show horses in the afternoon.

“They are both very good to me and let me go ride work and school if other trainers want me. I’m also getting loads of hunting with the Wards, Louths and Meaths.”