GAIN Horse Feeds’ sponsorship of the mares’ championship at Ballynoe stretches back to 1988 and in 1994 the race was won by the Le Moss bay Seeandbeseen who was partnered by Michael Phillips. Champion senior rider that year, and the following season, Phillips was reminded of his victory at that United Hunt fixture last Sunday when the names of all previous winners of the championship were printed in the racecard. Phillips attended the meeting as business manager with Gain along with Henry Corbally, chairman of the feed firm’s parent company, Glanbia. Both wore Gain jackets with Henry also sporting a Horse Sport Ireland cap.

“It was a really good race and Ciaran Fennessy gave the winner a great ride,” commented Phillips. “Thegirlfrommilan looked beaten four out but Ciaran stayed at it and the mare got up to win well at the end.” The six-year-old’s three-length success over another similarly-aged daughter of Milan, Goodthynemilan, earned connections a bonus of €3,000 equally contributed to by Gain and the Ballynoe point-to-point committee.

Ten years ago, when part of a nine-race card, the Gain Final was won by the Colman Sweeney-partnered Simons Girl, a six-year-old by Grand Plaisir who, in the colours of Aoife Brown, went into the race with a win and two second placings to her credit and afterwards was placed in bumpers and maiden hurdles for the Liam Burke yard.

Western Cape, a five-year-old Westerner gelding, is Simons Girl’s oldest produce. He finished second to Monbeg Notorious in a maiden at Tralee in May last year when trained by Ronnie O’Leary after which he was sold at Brightwells for £85,000. The bay has won a bumper and a maiden hurdle and twice finished second over hurdles for the Seamus Mullins yard. Western Cape was followed by a colt (2013) and filly (2014) by Getaway and Scorpion.

In 1996, the race was won by the Strong Gale mare Mr K’s Winterblues, one of four winners of the championship for rider Eoin Gallagher. Another six-year-old, she had won a Kildorrery maiden prior to the Gain final. Although she was placed 10 times over hurdles and fences subsequently for trainer Jimmy Mangan and owner-breeder Tinica Kouwenberg, she failed to get her head in front on the track.

At stud, Mr K’s Winterblues only bred five recorded foals, easily the best of whom was the 2008 Cloudings gelding Winter Magic who, trained by Mangan, won three point-to-points. Owned by Tinica and Nicola Kent, the bay has won two chases, his most recent victory being recorded at Punchestown in December.