A SECOND win over hurdles at Limerick on Sunday for the Michael Bowe-trained Halsafari was celebrated not only in Co Kilkenny but also in Co Antrim where the bay gelding’s family originated.

The six-year-old Doyen gelding runs in the colours of Michael’s brother John who is responsible for naming the family horses and likes to go back in time to do so. Sunday’s winner is out of Solerina, the winner of 22 races, including five Grade 1 hurdles, who too was named after a mare further back in the pedigree.

The new-age Solerina, a daughter of Toulon, was bred by the Bowes but her dam, Deep Peace, was bred at the Sweet Wall Stud in Co Antrim by Patricia Mackean, breeder of the great Florida Pearl.

Patricia, who puts in many hours as dressage scribe and often as cross-country fence judge at events run by the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland, failed to win a race with Deep Peace and had little luck in breeding from her.

The 1984 Deep Run mare, when retired to stud, had three fillies in a row by Florida Son, only one of whom was named.

In 1994, Mrs Mackean sold Deep Peace for just Ir£400 to the late James Bowe. Typically, the mare was then carrying the dual hurdle winner Florida Coast (also by Florida Son) and went on to breed not only Solerina but her bumper-winning daughter Fair Ina (by Taipan), dam of the ill-fated Fayonagh whose five track wins from just six outings included the champion bumpers at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals of 2017.

The original Solerina was a daughter of the 1921 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Soldennis and the 13-race winner Sweet Wall who, in 1936, became the first filly to win the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood; both sire and dam were bred and raced by Patricia’s parents-in-law, Charles and Isobel Mackean, one time leading owners in Ireland with three flat wins and one success over fences.

Through Sweet Wood, Patsy Brown and Bargy Music, Sweet Wall was the fourth dam of Deep Peace; through her daughter Safari, Solerina was dam of the original Halsafari who was a very successful sire of sport horses.

Eventing

Now mainly involved in eventing, Mrs Mackean, her daughter Georgia Stubington (vice chair of Eventing Ireland) and the latter’s daughter Lucca, have developed a renewed interest in the thoroughbred with Lucca campaigning two geldings last year by September Storm.

Sweet Wall last sold a horse at Tattersalls Ireland in 2009 but in 2018 two lots were knocked down to the Templepatrick Stud, a three-year-old Arcadio gelding who is back in this week having been broken after the August Sale and an unraced 2004 Shernazar mare (in foal to Gatewood) who is a half-sister to the dam of Altior and Princess Leya.

Still lying third on the Stobart jockeys’ championship table, Brian Hughes had a most disappointing Cheltenham, only travelling down for the opening card on the Tuesday when he had a fall with Riders Onthe Storm and pulled up Mister Whitaker.

Hughes has had better luck since, riding two winners at Hexham on the Thursday, three at Newcastle on Saturday and one at Wetherby on Tuesday.

The articulate south Armagh-born rider features in the latest Jockey Matters film produced by JETS (Jockeys Education & Training Scheme) which focuses on jockeys’ fitness. It’s well worth a look.

Banbridge native Patsy Cosgrave, who was due to have four rides yesterday at Jebel Ali, partnered his 16th winner in the United Arab Emirates this season when the Dubawi gelding Gm Hopkins landed the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship.