IT was most disappointing to see a walkover and a two-horse race at Tyrella on Saturday but, on the plus side, there were four locally-trained ‘winners’ at this East Down fixture which you can read all about on page 39.

A day later, and away from the Corbett family’s seaside estate, the Liam Cosgrave-owned and bred Ballela Blaze made a 22-length winning debut under Johnny Barry in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballycahane in Co Limerick.

The Conduit bay, who is trained by Eddie Power, is the 11th of 12 recorded foals out of the unraced Mandalus mare Ballela Girl, an own-sister to Corymandel and the dam of two track winners in Clues And Arrows (by Clerkenwell) and Banana Beach (by Exit To Nowhere).

Across the water, there were two northern-connected winners at Charm Park on Sunday.

The first was the Emlyn Patterson-bred Lagan Valley who, trained by Julie Wadland, justified 9/5 favouritism when bringing up a double for Jack Andrews in the restricted.

Two foals

This six-year-old Shirocco gelding, who was trained here by first Gerry Cosgrave and then Mark O’Hare for Ian Moore, is the second of just two foals out of the unraced Shantou mare Dilsy Dute, a half-sister to Ballymoy (by Flemensfirth).

The following three-mile maiden was won by the Chris Furness-ridden, Jack Teal-trained Camdonian who started his racing career at the Dan Skelton yard from which he was earlier purchased for £10,000 at the Goffs UK’s January Sale.

Bred by Thomas Foy, this seven-year-old Shantou gelding is the fourth of seven recorded foals out of the point-to-point-winning Bob Back mare Miss Garbo.

Lagan Valley and Camdonian were two of five Irish-bred winners at Charm Park which was good to see.

What wasn’t good, from an Irish breeder’s standpoint, was the fact that there wasn’t even one Irish-bred winner on Saturday at Buckfastleigh where seven of the nine winners carried an FR suffix while the other two were bred in Britain.

THE Route Harriers are running their spring meeting next Saturday at Portrush, a venue they first moved to in October 2016.

Thirty years ago, at Limavady, there were eight races on the card as two of the maidens were divided.

There were two open races that afternoon. The first, in which there were just five runners, was won easily by the 1/4 favourite, the Graeme Martin-owned and ridden Limeridge. The second, which was for horses who hadn’t been placed since 1/1/91, saw five of the 13 starters being led home by Suzy Barkley’s Second Fiddle VI.

That 15-length winner was partnered by Warren Ewing who earlier landed division one of the maiden on Charmers Well while the second went the way of Leo Gracey riding Frozen Drop. The divisions of the mares’ maiden were won by Paul McMahon on Susies Slave and Brian Hamilton with Bonecastle Queen.

The members’ race went to David Christie on board Mary Og and the concluding eight-runner winners of one for novice riders was won by Paul Humphries with Hidden Agenda.

Among winners

On Saturday, March 15th, 2003, Martin and Gracey again featured among the winning riders, the former claiming division two of the mares’ maiden on Crevamoy after the first had gone the way of Aaron Stronge on Quinntowin.

Riding Ah Yeah, Gracey dead-heated with Robert Quinn on Tyrone Trucker in division two of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Mark O’Hare won division one with Double Scene and brought up a double in division two of the seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden on Lord Montagu.

Also successful on the nine-race card were Paul Cosgrave on William Ulsterman in the open, Jackie Kidd on Angel High in the first division of the older geldings’ maiden, Tommy Peoples on Finoel in the hunt race and Johnny Vance riding Kilifi Creek in the winners of one. All winners at the two meetings above were bred in Ireland.

The Route fixture scheduled for Limavady on Saturday, April 13th, 2013 was cancelled.