CAST A Spell put trainer Tom Hogan back in the winner’s enclosure, when winning a hot mares’ maiden hurdle at Navan on Troytown Chase day.

The six-year-old mare was a 12/1 shot when she outstayed the odds-on Qualimita in a two-mile contest, which earned her owner Alan Jamieson a €7,500 payment from the Weatherbys ITBA National Hunt Fillies’ Bonus Scheme, on top of the €8,850 in prize money.

From Newcastle in the north of England, Alan is based in London and his company fits out warehouses. Alan has a handful of horses in training with Gary and Josh Moore, including Hudson De Grugy, who won at Fontwell last Tuesday.

Cast A Spell is the only horse he has in training in Ireland and, because of work commitments, Alan was unable to be at Navan and has only seen her race live once.

Alan spoke to The Irish Field this week on his way home from the veterinary surgeon, where his one-year-old pet dog was getting treatment for a bump on the head.

“I’ve been living down south for 27 years and got my first racehorse around 2005-’06. Children came along soon after that, so I got out of racehorse ownership until 2018, when I bought Distingo from France. He won two of his first three starts for me.

“Gary Moore sources them for me. He has people on the ground in France and we have had some lovely winners, like Jupiter De Gite, Mont Clermont, Saligo Bay and Hudson De Grugy, who won a premier handicap chase last year at Sandown, which is my favourite track.

“I’ve had flat winners, but the jumps is my thing.”

Asked how he came to have a mare in training with Tom Hogan, Alan explained: “I was at Fairyhouse two years ago with the connections of Klassical Dream, the day he finished second to Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.

“I mentioned to a mutual acquaintance that I would always be open to hearing about any horses for sale and this person told me about Cast A Spell, who was unraced at the time. I bought her and moved her to Gary Moore after she had two runs for Tom.

“She won on her first start in England, but then she started to show signs of temperament, probably connected to a schooling accident.

“We sent her back to Tom and she has steadily improved, winning a flat race at Killarney during the summer and now winning over hurdles.”

Bred by Tom Hogan, Cast A Spell is the first mare Alan has owned. She is by Mastercraftsman out of the Galileo mare Blackwitchwoman, who won four times for Tom, but only ran once over hurdles herself.

“I’m not interested in breeding and I didn’t know she had won the €7,500 bonus until Tom told me about it. It’s a great initiative to encourage owners to buy fillies and the race programme for mares is very good now. I don’t get involved in the race planning. I leave it all to Gary and Tom – they know the right races to go for.”

A bold attempt to get blacktype for Cast A Spell failed to come off earlier this month, when she was down the field in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, but she is said to be in good form since then and there are lots of nice races open to her for the rest of the season.

“I am hoping to be there for her next run,” Alan added.