Alan Mahon

CURRENT champion point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill enjoyed a quick double in the first two races at the North Down Hunt fixture at Kirkistown last Saturday.

Jumping was the name of the game for newcomer Sometime Soon (6/1 - 6/4 favourite) as the Shantou gelding produced an exceptional round of jumping to take the opening Dennison Commercials four-year-old maiden for handler David Christie, initiating O’Neill’s double.

Purchased at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 2016 for €26,000, Sometime Soon is out of Back Log, a winner over 10 furlongs for Jim Bolger and is a brother to multiple winners including Touch Back, a winner of five races.

“He’s unbelievable. He might be only 16 hands but he is as good a horse as I have ever had,” said Christie.

Travelling noticeably well down the back straight, O’Neill hit the front at the second last as Pilot Station fell, and quickly went clear showing a devastating turn of foot, recording a winning margin of eight lengths from the Denis Murphy-trained Always On The Ball.

“Barry said he was sprinting down to the last and he had to steady him up into it but he could have won by any distance. He was always showing us plenty at home, working with the open horses. He could be sold now,” added the elated winning handler.

O’Neill recorded his double 30 minutes later on board the Neil McKnight-trained well-related debutant Whyyousoserious (4/1-6/1) in the Tim Martin Estate Agents five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

The Amy Boyd-owned winner swept into the lead coming out of the back straight and under a powerful O’Neill drive, the Morozov mare battled gamely to deny the Stuart Crawford pair of Crawfords Mill and Annie McCarroll by three-parts of a length and two-lengths.

Whyyousoserious is the first produce out of a half-sister to Finian’s Rainbow and closely related to Grade 1 winner Finian’s Oscar, who remains unbeaten over fences following his victory at Cheltenham last weekend.

Winning handler McKnight was quick to praise Robbie Colgan for his work with the mare. Purchased for €1,200 at the Tattersalls August NH Sale last year, he added: “She has always worked well at home and we fancied her coming here today. She’s still very green and will improve massively from the experience. I’m not sure what we will do next but she could head to the sales.”

There couldn’t have been a more apt winner at Kirkistown on Saturday as the late ‘Peggy’ Hagan’s colours were carried to victory on Chosen Dream (5/2) in the John Boyce Cars Open Lightweight race.

Sent off a short-priced favourite following his narrow defeat by Sizing Coal at Portrush, Sambremont towed the field along and held a five-length advantage when crashing out four fences from home leaving Milan Flyer at the head of affairs.

Settled in the rear throughout, the Mark O’Hare-partnered Chosen Dream took up the running before the last and recorded an easy 10-length victory from Milan Flyer.

Trained by Graham McKeever, the Co Antrim handler commented: “he’s better on good ground but he done it well today and has won first time out every season that I have him. He clearly goes well fresh. We will probably wait to run him again next year on better ground.”

Graham’s father Colin also got on the scorecard providing Patrick McGuigan with his first success, as he steered Adamstown (5/4 favourite) to a facile victory in the Wilson Auctions winners of two. Racing in the familiar colours of Wilson Dennison, Adamstown made an eye-catching return from 18 months off when finishing second behind the impressive Burning Ambition at Loughbrickland last weekend.

The Flemensfirth gelding’s last success came in winners’ company at Castletown in 2013 but had some decent form in the book, finishing second in open company. Held-up for most of the contest, the novice rider made a move to challenge Canadian Steel at the second last and with a quicker jump asserted into a clear lead at the last and recorded a 10-length success.

“He’s a horse with plenty of ability but has had his problems. He had a lovely run last week at Loughbrickland and he done that well today. He is a fun horse and will run in open company next,” remarked the winning handler.

The Denis Murphy-trained Davy Street (6/4-5/4 favourite) stepped-up on his debut third-placed effort behind Shantaluze at Tinahely recently to take the Strangford Arms Hotel five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Outside The Ring dictated the pace from the outset under Barry O’Neill and held a length advantage from the favourite at the last but a slow jump gave the initiative to Jamie Codd’s mount, staying on best and leaving Outside The Ring two and a half lengths adrift at the post.

Representing the absent trainer, Codd said: “he had a lovely run in Tinahely the last day under Simon Cavanagh when he was a bit green but he has improved no end over the last few weeks. He has done that well today and he is an improving horse. He really stayed on well and he will head to the sales now.”

Steven Clements set out his intentions from flag fall aboard the Barry Connell-owned Internal Transfer (5/4-4/7 favourite) as he made all in the concluding older geldings’ maiden to post an easy eight-length win from Knockan Run.

Trained by Alan Fleming, who was represented by Tully East at Cheltenham the same afternoon, the son of Kayf Tara was a store purchase for €13,500 and is out of Nicky Henderson’s dual hurdle winner La Dame Brune.

The winning rider commented: “He’s a nice horse and is inexperienced only running twice on the track. He could head down the hunter chase route next.”

Poignant success

MARGARET ‘Peggy’ Hagan lived for point-to-points and Chosen Dream kept the flame burning brightly for the owner who died earlier this month. The famous green and red colours were carried to victory by Mark O’Hare, but were also worn by some of Peggy’s family in the winners’ enclosure, as the nine-year-old Well Chosen gelding paid a fitting tribute to the ‘grand lady’ of northern point-to-points.

The winning presentation was made to Peggy’s daughter Margaret, son-in-law Simon and grandchildren as emotional scenes followed the success. Winning handler Graham McKeever commented: “He was never going to get beat today with Peggy looking down on us.”

First Winner

IT was a red-letter day for Patrick McGuigan on Saturday at Kirkistown as he rode his first winner on Adamstown in the Wilson Auctions winner of two race.

Seen finishing third in the previous race on Stornaway for his boss Colin McKeever, the 21-year-old was seen to good effect steering Wilson Dennison’s Adamstown to an easy victory.

From Rasharkin, Co Antrim, McGuigan has been working with McKeever for two years following stints with Tony Martin and Philip Rothwell.