FOUR meetings were held in Britain at the start of this month commencing at Garthorpe on Wednesday, June 1st when there were five Irish-bred winners on the six-race card.

James King won three of these for south Wales trainer Luke Price, the season’s leading owner.

The pair’s treble commenced in the two-runner PPORA club members Level 3 conditions race with the 1/7 favourite, Spencer Moon, a 14-year-old Dr Massini gelding.

The seven-year-old Mahler gelding Captain Mc comfortably justified favouritism for the pair in the two-runner intermediate while the treble came up in the mixed open with the 11-year-old Westerner gelding Jack Dillinger.

Paddy Barlow recorded a double at this Meynell & South Staffs fixture which he initiated in the opening Level 3 owner-trainer conditions race on Louise Bevan’s Wayupinthebox, a 12-year-old Witness Box gelding.

The double was completed in the concluding maiden on the Laura Pomfret-trained Courtly Love, a nine-year-old British-bred Kayf Tara mare.

Sixteen-year-old Freddie Gordon landed the Level 2 novice riders’ conditions race on Commanche Red, a nine-year-old Mahler gelding trained by his mother Jenny.

The following afternoon, the action moved to Chaddesley Corbett where four of the six races were won by Irish-bred horses.

James King partnered two of these for Luke Price viz the eight-year-old Fame And Glory mare Rose Iland in the men’s Level 2 conditions race and the six-year-old Sans Frontieres mare Polly Sans in the mares’ maiden.

Immy Robinson also recorded a double which she initiated on the Phil Rowley-trained British-bred mare Champagne Lilly in the ladies’ open which was run as the final leg of the Lorna Brooke memorial series.

Theatre leading horse

Lilly Bradstock finished one and a half lengths back in second on the 14-year-old King’s Theatre gelding Southfield Theatre, the season’s leading horse with eight wins to his credit.

There were only two finishers from seven starters in the concluding maiden which was won by Robinson on the 7/4 favourite, No Promises.

Owned and trained by Stephanie Cameron, this eight-year-old San Frontieres gelding, who was having his fifth start in Britain, was bred by his former handler Roger McGrath out of the Invincible Spirit mare Tamara Who.

Sixteen-year-old Sholto Lacey made it two wins from two rides when landing the seven-runner restricted on Macfin, a six-year-old Dylan Thomas gelding owned and trained by his father Tom.

All six winners at Trecoed on the Saturday carried an IRE suffix. James King partnered three of these starting in the restricted on the Luke Price-trained Villanesque, a six-year-old Dylan Thomas mare while he completed his treble in the intermediate on the John Mathias-trained Hitdroadjack.

Between times, riding for owner-trainer Dean Jones, King landed the maiden on Blackfyre. This seven-year-old Redoute’s Choice gelding was bred by Mount Coote Stud and Richard Pegum out of the winning Polish Precedent mare Hazarayna who is dam also of Swashbuckling/Big Duke, a multiple graded winner in Australia.

Scott Malson won the opening members’ race on the Wyn Morris-owned and trained 13-year-old Tamayaz gelding Ardview Boy whose stable-companion, the nine-year-old Sandmason gelding Taaffes Castle, provided Sophie Kitts with her first success, on her second ride, in the ladies’ open.

Oisin Radford partnered the David Brace-owned and trained Looksnowtlikebrian, an 11-year-old Brian Boru gelding, to victory in the men’s equivalent.

King rode only one winner on Sunday, June 5th at Bratton Down – the Luke Prince-trained favourite Jack Dillinger, an 11-year-old Westerner gelding, in the men’s open.

Josh Newman recorded a double at this Tiverton Staghounds’ fixture on the Kayley Woollacott-owned and trained French-bred No Risk With Lou in the maiden and the Keith Cumings-trained Dr Rhythm, a nine-year-old Kalanisi gelding, in the intermediate.

There were two other Irish-bred winners at this meeting, the eight-year-old Lord Shanakill gelding Skilful Lord in the members’ race and the 10-year-old Mustameet gelding Mustmeetforapint in the restricted.