FROM last Thursday week through to last Saturday, Draperstown’s Noel Kelly saddled seven runners – all in Britain – and was rewarded for his efforts with three wins.

Sean Bowen had the successful leg up on the TSM Racing Syndicate’s 11/10 favourite Supposedtobe in the two-mile selling hurdle at Uttoxeter where the raid commenced; Co Sligo native Darragh Keenan partnered the 25/1 shot Clarinbridge to victory in the same colours over seven furlongs at Ayr on Saturday; and, on the same afternoon, having travelled into central Scotland, Maghera’s Óran McGill landed the three-mile handicap hurdle at Perth on the Dogs to Horses Syndicate’s Doune Castle.

Caledon trainer Andy Oliver sent Semblance Of Order on a purely motorway trip rather than a sea journey last Thursday week but he too ended up with a winner when the J.P. Ledwidge-owned Semblance Of Order landed the mile handicap at Leopardstown under Chris Hayes. Two days later, owner and trainer again joined forces at Down Royal where the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Picture Of A City justified favouritism in the Polypipe Handicap over an extended 10 furlongs.

On behalf of his Hilltown breeders, Gary and Stephen Kerr, Kidd consigned the then colt to the 2013 National Hunt Sale at Tattersalls Ireland where he was knocked down for €13,000 to Rathbarry Stud. Three years later, the brown gelding was consigned by Glenwood Stud to the Land Rover Sale at Goffs where north Yorkshire trainer Phil Kirby signed the €14,000 chit.

Rich Man Poor Man was the only foal out of the unraced Jimble mare Mistaken Identity who was a half-sister to Magnanimity out of a half-sister to Amberleigh House.

Unfortunately for Kirby, the horse never looked like matching the exploits of those family members and he was retired after pulling up four times in five outings over hurdles between late January and mid-March 2017.

Since moving into the care of leading Scottish show horse producer Kirstine Douglas, Rich Man Poor Man has really blossomed and last year was crowned supreme champion at the Jockey Club Retraining of Racehorses National Championships at Aintree.

Prior to heading up to the Edinburgh showgrounds last week, Rich Man Poor Man won the middleweight hunter class at the Royal Cheshire County Show.

Douglas and the now 10-year-old started off their run on the opening day of the Royal Highland (last Thursday week, June 22nd) in the Thistle Ring where they won the Tattersalls open Scottish championship final for the second time.

It was then up to the Main Arena for the middleweight hunter class where he always stood top of the line-up.

The combination then landed the hunter championship, the overall ridden hunter championship and finally capped a brilliant day by claiming the supreme hunter championship.

Beautiful horse

If you want to see some photographs of a beautifully-produced beautiful horse, look up Kirstine Douglas Equestrian on Facebook.

You can read about some locally-owned and produced Royal Highland winners in Irish Horse World where you will also find coverage of his first success in the Hickstead Derby for Derry-born David Simpson.

At home, there were racehorse to riding horse classes at last weekend’s horse and pony show in Castle Irvine, Necarne, from where Greenisland’s Megan Norton and Omagh’s Lee McFarland are progressing to the Racehorse to Riding Horse Final at Tullow Show on August 20 with the five-year-old Tagula gelding Vazzy and the 13-year-old Jeremy gelding Hareth.

There are two more local qualifiers at the Castlewellan & District Agricultural Show on Saturday, July 15th and at the Clogher Valley Show in Augher on Wednesday, July 26th.

MARTIN Harley heads the list of jockeys this week as, from six rides, the 33-year-old partnered five winners at Rockhampton in Queensland last Sunday.

The Co Donegal native suffered very serious injuries in a fall at Doomben on January 11th which saw him hospitalised with a broken shoulder and three broken vertebrae in his neck. However, he was back race-riding on May 27th and partnered a winner on his second start.

Harley is not only looking forward to riding more winners over the next couple of months but also to his marriage in September to Brisbane-born Brittney Haines who he first met about four years ago.

Closer to home, Brian Hughes rode four winners in the period under review for four individual trainers; Dylan Browne McMonagle partnered three, Patsy Cosgrave and Darragh Keenan rode two apiece, there were single wins for Danny McMenamin, Luke McAteer, Óran McGill and Oisin Orr plus a first success for 17-year-old Ballybofey-born apprentice Kyle McHugh at Limerick on Monday.