IT’s very difficult for young National Hunt jockeys to get rides these days so the Adare Manor Opportunity Series is a vital component of Irish racing.

On Saturday, a two-mile maiden hurdle under the Adare Manor banner opened the card at Thurles where the honours went to the Robert Tyner-trained Iconic Lady who was ridden by Castlereagh’s Jordan Canavan.

While his home track, Downpatrick, was holding its Ulster National fixture on Sunday, Danny McMenamin was riding at Carlisle when he won the mares’ handicap hurdle on Amberose who is trained by his boss, Nicky Richards.

Having led going into the final flight, the combination had survived a slight mistake before holding on to score by three-parts of a length from Lady Samback who was ridden by Brian Hughes.

The latter, who had increased his seasonal tally by one at Musselburgh the previous afternoon, rode three other placed horses at Carlisle but resumed winning ways two days later at Hexham where he recorded a double.

McMenamin wasn’t the only Downpatrick native to ride a winner, as David Maxwell moved closer to claiming the gentleman jockeys’ National Hunt championship title when winning the novices’ hurdle at Ludlow last Thursday week. The London-based property investor was having his first ride in public on the Philip Hobbs-trinaed Jatiluwih.

Deckie Lavery wasn’t long in putting that controversy behind him as, having finished second on the Brian Hamilton-trained Tareeshar at his local track on Sunday. The Downpatrick qualified rider won the bumper at Clonmel on Tuesday on the Gordon Elliott-trained Conflated.