MANY people involved in the horse world in Northern Ireland also have an interest in motorbike racing and the two sports combined successfully at Navan last Saturday.

This was in the BarOneRacing Telebetting (Pro/Am) bumper where the James Lambe-trained Sundrenched won on the second time of asking for top motorbike racer, Michael Dunlop. The five-year-old Teofilo gelding was ridden by Lambe’s stepson, Liam McKenna.

“I’ve known Michael a good while and he said that he would be interested in having a horse sometime,” related James. “Liam and his girlfriend, Louise Magee, were at last year’s Goffs January Sale at Doncaster and liked this unraced four-year-old that was part of the Godolphin consignment.

“Liam gave £4,500 for the horse who was then sold to Michael. He finished eighth of 17 in a bumper at Fairyhouse in early December and this was his first run since.

“Liam gave the horse a lovely quiet ride on Saturday and he’ll have learned a lot from that. He’ll probably run in the winners’ bumper at the Down Royal Festival. Hopefully, Michael will be able to go to see the horse then. While there were no owners allowed in on Saturday, Michael wouldn’t have been there anyway as he was racing in the British Superbikes over the weekend.”

Rode out

Dunlop, who has been to see Sundrenched work on a couple of occasions, is well used to horses as his mother, Louise, showed high-class cobs and Connemaras and rode out in a racing yard. “It’s fantastic training a good horse for such a sporting icon,” concluded Lambe.

Also at Navan on Saturday, Ronan McNally’s attention to detail and his knack of reviving horses’ interest in racing paid off yet again when the Arvico gelding Dreal Deal carried the Armagh trainer’s colours to victory in division one of the two-mile, six-furlong handicap hurdle.

The win upset some, but, in a week when it was announced that The Den was returning to RTE television, we would rather quote Dustin The Turkey and say: “Go on ya good thing!”