THE three-time British champion jumps jockey Brian Hughes partnered five winners between last Thursday week and Wednesday just past, a double at Market Rasen on Wednesday bringing his seasonal total to 73.

While victory on the Ruth Jefferson-trained Lavida Adiva in the Listed Ladbrokes’ Mares Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday may have been more financially rewarding for the Co Armagh native, Klitschko’s win in the concluding handicap hurdle at Stratford last Thursday week was possibly more important.

The seven-year-old Blue Bresil gelding is trained by the jockey’s wife Luci Hughes who was saddling her first winner as a permit-holder (she did send out a hunters’ chase winner in the past).

The couple’s two children, Rory (seven) and Olivia (five), and their two-year-old cousin Dougie were on hand to celebrate the win. Klitschko was led up by Kaitlin Mason who is probably better known in Ireland as a show horse rider.

Also at that Sedgefield meeting, the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap hurdle was won by the Shirocco gelding Scorsese, who is trained for Co Sligo’s Paul McKeon by Co Antrim-born Neil Mulholland, while the two-mile, five-furlong handicap chase was won by the Patrick McElroy-bred 12-year-old gelding The Paddy Pie (Beneficial – Salsita, by Fijar Tango).

Locally-bred

Other locally-bred geldings to win over jumps in Britain in the period under review were the Danny Doran-bred six-year-old Andy Amo (Sageburg – The Right Thing, by Generous) who landed the two-mile, seven-furlong handicap hurdle at Bangor on Saturday when, at Newbury, the Susie Berry-bred seven-year-old Bhaloo (Sageburg – Feldaline, by Presenting) won the two and a half-mile handicap chase.

At Newbury on Friday, David Maxwell won the opening BetVictor novices’ hurdle over an extended two and a half miles on his own Harry Derham-trained six-year-old Doyen gelding Queensbury Boy, who was sent off as the 2/5 favourite.

Two days later at Carlisle, Danny McMenamin moved on to the 62-win mark for the season when landing the Racing Post North Monet’s Garden Series Final Handicap Chase on the Ann Hamilton-trained Hello Judge.

At home on the level, Stuart Crawford sent out the Wayne Lordan-partnered five-year-old Kuroshio mare Annaghmccanns to win the extended 10-furlong handicap at Dundalk for her Co Louth owner/breeders, Sandra and Fergus Cumiskey.

Luke McAteer recorded a double in the first two races at that Co Louth meeting last week on two horses trained by David Marnane who, at Naas last Sunday, also provided the Co Donegal-born jockey with the winning mount in the Irish Racing Writers Association Ron McKnight Memorial Madrid Handicap.

HAVING had to travel all the way up to Portrush last Saturday, southern raiders will appreciate the fact that today’s Co Down Hunt meeting is taking place at the handily-reached Loughbrickland where there could be a couple of divides on the card.

There was one back in 2005, when the meeting was held on Saturday, April 9th. Derek O’Connor claimed the honours in both divisions of the four and five-year-old geldings’ maiden on horses trained at Loughanmore by Colin McKeever for Wilson Dennison, Ballygar and Scotsirish.

Despite that double, O’Connor wasn’t the meeting’s leading rider, that accolade going to Mark O’Hare who recorded a treble. He won the opening winners of one with Drineevar, the winners of two on Secret Progress and wound up the day by landing the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden on board Regal Pageant.

Clare MacMahon made most of the running en route to a four-length success in the ladies’ open with Dimitri while Robert Widger was left clear to land the older geldings’ maiden on President Hill when Murlough Bay fell fatally at the final fence. On Saturday, March 28th, 2015, there was no need for a divide.

There were six runners in three of the races – the four-year-old maiden won by the J.P. Brennan-trained, Steven Clements-ridden Cappuccino Man, the open won by the Liam Kenny-trained, Jamie Codd-ridden Vital Pilot, and the mares’ winners of two which was won by Jamie Flynn on board Bill Doran’s Rememer The Past.

Codd had initiated a double in the eight-runner five and six-year-old mares’ maiden on the Mayne Kidd-owned and trained Loughbricklandrose, a daughter of September Storm, Jason McKeown won the following five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, in which there were 10 runners, on the Thomas McGeough-owned and trained Little Bill and Pat Collins sent many local punters home happy when landing the concluding older horses maiden on the Lyle Andrew-owned and trained State Of Origin.

All hands on deck at Tyrella

AS a venue for point-to-pointing and eventing, Tyrella stands out on its own and, last Saturday, it looked picture-perfect in the sun and there was no wind coming in off the sea.

John and Hannah Corbett had opened their gates twice earlier this year for the East Down point-to-points and once for the Eventing Ireland Northern Region’s weekend of two-phase competitions.

Last Saturday, the Northern Region was back for the first of four affiliated one-day events at Tyrella where the East Down Branch of The Pony Club will be holding their annual Derby Day on Easter Monday, April 21st.

As there was a massive entry for Saturday’s event, a huge team of volunteers had to be cajoled into service for a variety of tasks by the ever-persuasive Dora Beacom.

At day’s end, the names of all volunteers were put into a draw for prizes which included two tickets, donated by Downpatrick racecourse, for tomorrow’s Randox Ulster National meeting.

These were won by Deborah Donnell, one of the cross-country fence stewards, and we hope that she and her guest enjoy the day.

Farewell to pony race stalwarts

SADLY this week we heard of the death of two men who were closely involved with the horse and pony racing scene, Eugene Gillen and Tom Fennelly.

We learned of the passing last Saturday of former jockey Eugene Gillen from Manorcunningham who was often associated with horses and ponies owned by Brian Ferry. Equestrian painter and sculptor Marina Hamilton became the first rider Donegal rider to win the Dingle Derby in 1991 and was the first lady rider to do so. Eugene finished second.

He then went on to win the Derby three times himself – in 1993 on El Dorado, in 1996 on Tic Tac and in 2000 on Dinn Ri. Eugene, whose funeral mass and burial were held on Monday, is survived by his sisters Eileen, Isobel, Mary and Carmel to whom we in The Irish Field wish to extend our sympathy.

As we do also to Reenie Fennelly and family following the death of her husband Tom who, as an owner, helped to put Sam Ewing on the map, particularly when it came to Sam teaming up with Tom’s great winner, Storm Force.