WHILE delighted to see four locally-owned and trained horses score at last Saturday’s re-scheduled Route meeting at Portrush, we’re going to concentrate here on the two that were home-bred as well.

The first of these was the Paul McAleese-trained River Box who, on his fourth start, won the Doherty and Gray older geldings’ maiden for novice riders in the hands of Brian Barry.

The six-year-old Arcadio bay was bred by his owner, John Mooney, out of the Witness Box mare Nosey Box who was also trained by McAleese for Mooney and, a consistent type, won her maiden at Loughanmore in April 2012 under Barry’s older brother, Johnny.

Nosey Box also recorded one win over hurdles, was placed seven times over the smaller obstacles and was placed six times over fences.

Successful

The Gerald Quinn-trained, Noel McParlan-ridden Knocky made a successful return to the point-to-point scene when landing the concluding Royal Court Hotel winners’ of two by 55 lengths from his sole rival.

This was just a fifth career start, and the fourth between the flags, for the seven-year-old Watar chesnut who won the older geldings’ maiden at Taylorstown this time last season.

Knocky, who holds a Mid-Antrim cert, is owned by James Brown Kerr who bred his dual winner out of Julie’s Dream.

That 2001 Oscar Schindler mare carried the same colours when finishing second twice and third once in 15 point-to-point starts between mid-April 2006 and late September 2009.

Hughes takes five, Ewing grounded

IT was a good week for Brian Hughes who rode five winners, for Caoilin Quinn and Derek Fox who both rode two while Oisin Orr, Dylan Browne McMonagle and Danny McMenamin partnered one apiece.

It was not a good week for Sam Ewing who, so shortly after finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, broke his arm when unseated from the Stuart Crawford-trained Poppy Rose at Musselburgh last Friday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season. On May Day last year, Ewing fractured his pelvis in a fall at Down Royal and was sidelined for a considerable time.

IT was most disappointing to learn that the Newry Harriers’ point-to-point, which should be taking place today at Taylorstown, was cancelled earlier in the week due to ground conditions.

The Route were permitted to hold their re-scheduled meeting at Portrush last Saturday as the Co Downs were unable to run at Loughbrickland and these rain-affected fixtures came shortly after there were just 28 runners at the second of the East Down meetings at Tyrella on March 4th when the going was described as good to firm.

Going change

Following heavy snow and rain since then, the ground had changed completely at the Corbett family’s seaside venue last Saturday when nearly 300 horses/ponies competed in the first one-day event of the Irish season. This was organised by the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland who had catered for 260 entries in a two-phase event at Tyrella the previous Saturday and will probably see large numbers enter the second of their one-day events next weekend.

Two-phase event

The East Downs – well the Pony Club Branch thereof – will be back at Tyrella on Easter Monday, April 10th, for a two-phase event which is open to all (entries close April 4th), followed by the third and final Northern Region one-day event on Saturday, April 22nd. Tyrella is such an important venue for all horse sports as where else in the country could you even plan so much at this time of year, never mind run them?