Treble for McConville

MANY congratulations to Portadown’s Daire McConville who, from just three rides, rode half the winners on the six-race card at his local Tynan & Armagh point-to-point at Farmacaffley last Saturday, two in his own colours.

Northern breeders’ success

AMONG the northern-bred National Hunt winners in the period under review was Beeno who landed the two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle at Sedgefield last Thursday. The nine-year-old Exit To Nowhere gelding was bred by Anne Kirkwood out of the unraced King’s Theatre mare Kay Theatre.

The Hugh Suffern Bloodstock-bred Baywing won the featured Betfred Eider Handicap Chase over an extended four miles at Newcastle on Saturday for the Nicky Richards yard. Without a win since landing a Grade 2 novices’ chase at Wetherby in early February last year, the 2009 Winged Love gelding is out of Cerise De Totes (by Champ Libre).

At Southwell the following afternoon, the extended two and a half-mile novices’ handicap chase was won by the Anthea Smyth-bred Normandy King. The seven-year-old King’s Theatre gelding is out of the Alflora mare Clairfontaine.

Maxwell on the mark

ANOTHER owner/rider on the mark over the weekend was Downpatrick-born David Maxwell who, on his first ride back after injury, landed the hunters’ chase at Fontwell on Sunday on the Paul Nicholls-trained Unioniste.

The French-bred 10-year-old is among the entries for the Foxhunters at Cheltenham where last season he was partnered by Maxwell to finish ninth of 24 in the Kim Muir.