HAVING seen the Poobles Men Partnership’s Alma Libre being caught close home in the DNG Apprentice Derby at the Curragh on Friday evening, Natalia Lupini gained quick compensation when saddling Dunum to land the following Hollywoodbets We’re Here To Take Over Handicap in the hands of Wayne Lordan.
Sent off as the 5/2 favourite, the four-year-old Ivawood gelding was bringing up a hat-trick in the colours of his breeders, Maurice Burns and Michael McCartan. The bay’s previous successes had both been over a mile at Gowran Park on his first two starts for the Craigavon handler.
Cartmel
On Sunday afternoon, Stuart Crawford and Noel Kelly both sent out winners at Cartmel where dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a lead at all times, and picnics are not only allowed but “positively encouraged – including alcohol”.
Larne handler Crawford stuck first when James Bowen partnered the 9/1 shot Island Mahee to a five-and-a-half-length victory in the two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle.
Owned and bred by Comber’s Elizabeth ‘Hammy’ Hamilton, the eight-year-old Doyen mare was putting matters to right on Sunday as she had been promoted to first on her last outing here in late May only to be demoted on appeal by connections of the neck winner that day, the 6/4 favourite Finest View.
While Crawford was an absentee, Noel Kelly was on hand to welcome Bintheredonethat back to the numner one spot following his six-length victory in the concluding handicap hurdle over an extended three-mile, one-furlong trip. Ridden by Johnny Burke, the eight-year-old Yeats gelding, who was recording his first success on his 17th start, is owned by Dungiven’s Stephen McGowan.
England-based Co Antrim-born trainer Neil Mulholland sent out his 16th winner of the British season when the Thomas Doggrell-ridden Mastedream landed the concluding two-and-a-half-mile conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Worcester on Wednesday.
Jersey success
The previous Friday, Mulholland’s excellent strike rate at Les Landes in Jersey continued when he saddled a treble.
All three horses were partnered by Mark Quinlan who first got off the mark in the Polygon Collective 2022 Channel Islands Champion Hurdle on the Olden Times mare Molliana. The 2/7 favourite was bringing up a hat-trick of victories with this success.
All but three of the seven-year-old’s 16 wins (nine over hurdles, seven on the flat) have been at Les Landes.