CO MEATH’s Martin McIntyre, who is attached to the Harry Fry yard in Dorset, recorded a double last Sunday at Larkhill where all but one of the six winners were Irish-bred.

Home for two rides at Tinahely in October, 26-year-old McIntyre landed the five-runner restricted on Coolharbour Joe whose trainer, Peter Hammersley, is better known in Arab racing circles.

The lightly-raced 2008 Morozov gelding, who was having just his third career start, won a six-year-old and upwards maiden for novice riders at Bellurgan Park in April when trained by Lorcan Donnelly for breeders Joe and Pauline Kavanagh.

McIntyre brought up his double in the open maiden on the Ben Clarke-trained Titans Approach who beat Tom Malone’s Westerner five-year-old Orchardstown Cross – third at Lismore in March for John Halley on his only other start – by eight lengths.

A seven-year-old by High Chaparral out of a Definite Article mare, the Marie Gavin-bred Titans Approach had previously been trained by Graeme McPherson for whom he was placed in a bumper and twice over hurdles. The bay started his career here with Liam Burke who saddled him to finish a half-length second to Minella Scamp in a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Inch in 2013.

Sent off the 9/4 favourite, Luke Harvey’s Porlock Bay found one too good for him, by a length, in the members’ conditions race in the shape of the Sam Waley-Cohen-ridden Anquetta. Having his second start between the flags, the Gerry Martin-bred 12-year-old Anshan gelding has also won a bumper and six chases.

WADEBRIDGE

Porlock Bay was ridden by Gina Andrews as Darren Edwards, who rode the horse to win the last day, travelled to Wadebridge where he initiated a double in the five-runner restricted on the Dean Summersby-trained Rockinrolldixie, the even-money favourite. The seven-year-old Garuda gelding, who won a British maiden in May, was previously trained here by Eugene O’Sullivan.

Edwards and Summersby combined to land the final race on the Cornwall Hunt Club card, the 10-runner open maiden, with Chosen Lucky. The 5/2 second favourite was making his British debut having raced three times here last season for Shirley Berry.

The James McGrath-bred bay was then owned by Tom Meagher who stands the five-year-old’s sire, Well Chosen, at his Kedrah House Stud outside Cahir. On his second outing at Ballyragget, Chosen Lucky finished fourth of 16 to Neon Wolf who recently landed a bumper at Uttoxoter on his debut for Harry Fry.

All four other winners at the Wadebridge fixture were Irish-bred, that quartet including the Gus Levinson-ridden Premier Portrait who was scoring for the second time this season when landing the men’s open.

The spoils were divided between Irish and British-bred horses as the Northern Area season got under way with the Ratcheugh Racing Club meeting at Alnwick on Sunday. All three winners with an IRE suffix were sent off favourite, two at odds-on.

In the ladies’ open, the Justin Landy-owned and trained Knocklong (4/6) notched up his sixth successive point-to-point victory (his fourth at this track) by 10 lengths. Ridden by Catherine Walton, the Michael Kelly-bred Milan gelding won a bumper and a maiden hurdle at Naas and Punchestown in 2012 when trained as a four-year-old by Christy Roche for J.P. McManus.

Landy also saddled the men’s open winner Ardea who justified his price of 1/2 by a length in the lands of Joe Wright. This was a fourth pointing success for the eight-year-old Millenary gelding who was bred by Pat Hickey and also has a Hexham hunters’ chase victory to his credit.

There are no point-to-point meetings in Britain this weekend, the action resuming with the Harkaway Club fixture at Chaddesley Corbett on Tuesday, December 27th.