Larkin’s delight

KILSHEELAN-based Eric Larkin was delighted to see his homebred Teaspoon win the mares’ maiden particularly as it looked as if she would be pulled up four from home.

Eric, who is an Army officer based in Stephens Barracks, Killkenny, last saddled a point-to-point winner 14 years ago but always thought a lot of this Tel Quel six-year-old who didn’t run at all in 2013 as her owner was on duty in the Lebannon.

“I had two horses for this season,” related Larkin. “This mare, who may now go to the track, and another horse who broke a shoulder in a fall and broke mine at the same time! Teaspoon had a palate operation at the end of last season and when I saw her going so badly, I thought it hadn’t worked. Her dam (Quench, by Be My Guest) was hard to get in foal so she ran loose with Tel Quel.”

Work pays off

THE going was described as good to firm but a lot of work by clerks of the course, John Dagg and Jed Kelly, ensured that it was safe.

“We spiked it on Tuesday and, even though there was a downpour that evening we kept watering the course until yesterday at noon,” reported Dagg whose wife Mary is the meeting’s ever efficient secretary.

With no rides at the meeting on Sunday, the couple’s younger daughter Aine was persuaded to pick the Top Spec best turned-out horse in each race, a task which was usually undertaken at this venue by the late Tommy Brennan.

On the sidelines

ONE young rider keeping an eye on the action on Sunday was James Kenny, son of Ballydarragh trainer Liam.

James is one of those caught in a loophole as he is now 16 and out of jumping ponies (his good Grade A gelding Bertie Brown was sold after the National Championships in Ennis to the Clancy family) while he cannot apply for a qualified riders’ licence to ride in point-to-points until next summer when he turns 17.

“There’s no point in me buying James a horse to show jump as he wants to go racing but it would be good if a 16-year-old like James could get a licence and perhaps be restricted to open horses, even just home-trained ones,” said Liam who rarely has bumper horse at his Co Wexford yard.