TOMMIE O’Brien recorded a double last Sunday at Knightwick where there were four Irish-bred winners on the six-race card.

The Galway native got off the mark in the three-runner restricted, which he won easily on the Charlotte Fuller-owned and -trained Winter Holiday, a seven-year-old British-bred mare by Dubai Destination.

Three runners also went to post for the mixed open which O’Brien claimed for owner/trainer Clive Boultbee-Brooks on the Irish-bred Trio For Rio.

This eight-year-old Getaway gelding won twice between the flags here in the 2017/18 season, when trained by Jimmy Mangan for breeder Barry O’Driscoll, and subsequently landed two hurdle races for Warren Greatrex. Since joining his current handler, Trio For Rio has won hunters’ chases at Ludlow and Cheltenham.

O’Brien also rode two second-placed horses from his four rides at the fixture. In the opening eight-runner PPORA club members’ restricted race (level 2) his mount, Miss Seagreen, the 5/4 favourite, went down by half a length to the eight-year-old Getaway gelding The Dellercheckout who was ridden by Immy Robinson for her mother Caroline.

On yet another Getaway gelding, the 5/4 favourite Flying Colum, who was making his British debut, O’Brien had to settle for the runner-up spot in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden.

This was won by the Sarah Bosley-trained, British-bred Midnight Jitterbug who provided rider Darren Andrews with his first success of the season.

Bradley Gibbs recorded his fourth win of the new campaign when landing the concluding three-mile maiden on the even-money favourite El Diablo, a newcomer he trains.

The five-year-old Cloudings gelding is out of the unraced Alflora mare Mayfly, a half-sister to the Kayf Tara gelding Mozoltov whose seven wins included a Grade 2 hurdle and a Grade 3 chase; he was also Grade 1-placed on three occasions.

Fourth winner

The fourth Irish-bred winner on the card was the eight-year-old Doyen gelding Garrettstown who, on his second start between the flags, landed the 10-runner level three conditions’ race under his trainer, Paige Topley.

There was a good-sized crowd but small fields at Dunsmore where Irish-breds won five of the six races.

The opening four- and five-year-old maiden over three miles was won by the Neil McLean-trained newcomer, Park This One, who was ridden by Josh Newman. The 2017 Walk In The Park gelding is out of the unraced Shirocco mare Soraya Pearl.

The concluding older horses’ maiden over the same trip was won by the Tom Malone-owned and trained Truckers Pass who was having his first start in a British point-to-point. The seven-year-old Kalanisi gelding, who was partnered by Will Biddick, was bred by Robert Allen out of the Presenting mare Lady Knightess.

The reigning British men’s champion James King recorded his third win of the season when landing the restricted on the Gareth Moore-trained favourite Accordini, a British-bred gelding by Dr Massini.

There were two meetings also the previous Sunday when there were no Irish-bred winners at Badbury Rings. Here, Tommie O’Brien won the mixed open on the Marie McGuinness-trained Le Ligerien, an eight-year-old Turgeon gelding who was having his second start between the flags.

When making his pointing debut in April 2018, the French-bred bay had been partnered by Martin McIntyre. That Co Meath native recorded his first success of the new season in the three-mile maiden at this Portman Hunt fixture on the Leslie Jefford-trained Dock Of The Bay, a seven-year-old Sixties Icon gelding.

Aintree winner

There were only 27 runners at Revesby Park where Irish-breds won four of the seven races but not the mixed open where last April’s Aintree Foxhunters’ winner, the French-bred Cousin Pascal, recorded a successful seasonal debut, bringing up a double for his trainer, Joe O’Shea, and owner, Peter Clifton.

The good-looking Great Pretender gelding made all under the reigning men’s champion James King who filled a double of his own in the two-mile four- and five-year-old bumper on the Alan Hill-trained newcomer Santos Blue, a 2017 British-bred Blue Bresil gelding.

O’Shea and Clifton had initiated their double in the three-mile maiden with the Henry Crow-partnered-Alfoski who was making his pointing debut.

The six-year-old Aizavoski gelding was bred by Patrick Doyle out of the unraced but well-related Lord Americo mare Faraday Lady.