STUART Crawford’s current good form continued in the period under review as he sent out a winner at Newcastle last Saturday and at Ayr on Monday.

The first of the pair to strike was Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s O’Toole who, on his return from a 296-day break, justified 13/8 favouritism in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Vickers.Bet Everyday Handicap Chase under the owners’ retained jockey, Daryl Jacob.

The seven-year-old Mahler gelding, who was making his debut over the larger obstacles in this two and a half mile contest where only three of the nine runners finished, scored by three and three-quarter lengths from the Brian Hughes-partnered Castle Rushen.

The winner previously of a bumper and a maiden hurdle and never worse than fourth in just six lifetime starts, O’Toole is out of the bumper-winning Zaffaran mare On Galley Head and was purchased by the Crawford Brothers at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

Jacob had three rides for the Larne yard on Monday at Ayr where Munir and Souede’s Champ De Gane and Isenay failed to reward favourite backers in their respective races although both were placed.

However, the Co Wexford-born jockey wore Crawford’s own colours to victory in the opening, and wordy, Racing TV EBF Mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles, on El Poppochapo.

This six-year-old bay, who had failed to finish in the placings in three previous runs over hurdles and four in bumpers, was bred by Hugh Suffern at his Tullyraine House Stud where her sire Conduit stood from 2016 until his sudden death in 2020.

She is out of the unraced Winged Love mare Insanity Of Love, an own-sister to the Fergal O’Brien-trained Perfect Candidate whose nine wins included the BetVictor.com Handicap Chase (Grade 3) at the 2017 November meeting at Cheltenham, plus Lovey Dovey and Hidden Horizons.

El Poppochapo is the third of five foals registered with Weatherbys out of Insanity Of Love who, in 2021, produced a traditional Irish-bred colt by the Grade A show jumper Democrat.

At the time of the mare’s covering, that grey Irish Sport Horse stallion was standing with Gladys and Eamon McArdle at their Drumhowan Stud outside Castleblayney (the former home of Tullyraine House’s Primary) but is now based at the McLoughlin family’s Liscahill Stud in Co Longford.

Berry bred

At Naas on Sunday, Munir and Souede’s Hunters Yarn was a 1/4 winner of the two-mile maiden hurdle for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.

This was a fourth win in seven starts for the six-year-old Fame And Glory gelding who was bred by Callie Berry and is the last of 11 recorded foals out of the Epervier Bleu mare Full Of Birds.

This two-time winner over jumps in her native France is dam of five other winners including the blacktype performers Do You Job (also by Fame And Glory) and Down Ace (by Generous).

On the flat at Wolverhampton the following evening, the father and son team of Mark (trainer) and Billy (jockey) Loughnane combined to land the Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Odds Classified Stakes over a mile and half a furlong with Broughtons Flare who was winning for the fourth time in his career.

The seven-year-old Rip Van Winkle gelding was bred by Max Ervine out of the Orientate mare Purple Glow whose four other winners include the seven-time scorer Jungle Cove (by Mastercraftsman) and the dual listed winner Main Desire (by High Chaparral).

On the National Hunt jockeys’ front, there were wins on Saturday for Simon Torrens at Cork and for both Brian Hughes and Danny McMenamin at Newcastle.

Sligo’s Derek Fox moved on to the 24-win mark for the season on Monday at Ayr where he claimed the bumper on the Lucinda Russell-trained Esprit Du Potier.

Reigning champion Hughes notched up win no 122 of the campaign on the Adrian Keatley-trained Clear White Light in the near two and a half-mile handicap hurdle on Tuesday at Doncaster where the once North of Ireland-based Dylan Johnston won the opening ‘Hands And Heels’ conditional and amateur jockeys handicap hurdle on the Rose Dobbin-trained Aazza.

THE first local racemeeting of 2023, the Molson Coors Race Day, takes place on Tuesday week, January 24th, at Down Royal where a general admission charge of £10 includes a free racecard.

The 2022/2023 point-to-point season in the Northern Region is set to resume four days later, with the first of two East Down Foxhounds’ fixtures taking place at Tyrella.