LAST weekend’s Ladbrokes Festival of Racing at Down Royal was totally dominated by southern trainers and jockeys, mainly Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, with Co Tyrone-born Simon Torrens the only one to strike for the north – and even he lives in Co Meath.
Torrens’s win came in the three-mile Eventsec Handicap Chase on the Willie Murphy-trained, Stephen Campion-owned and bred Clonmeen.
The eight-year-old Stowaway gelding scored by one and a quarter lengths from the Orán McGill-partnered, Noel Kelly-trained, Niall McGrady-bred Cave Court who was bidding for a five-timer. Clonmeen is out of the Paul Haughey-bred Zaffaran mare Glencree Spirit.
Zefiro Dodville, the first of Elliott’s 11 Festival winners when landing the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle on the Friday, had travelled north before as, on his only start between the flags, he won the four-year-old maiden at Portrush in October 2022. The French-bred Saints Des Saints gelding was then in the care of Colin Bowe.
Away from Down Royal, the former Karen McNeilly-owned, Paul Traynor-trained Intersky Sunset justified favouritism for the in-form Declan Queally yard when landing the two-and-a-half-mile mares’ handicap hurdle at Gowran on Saturday by two and a quarter lengths.
The now six-year-old Libertarian bay won a mares’ maiden for her previous connections at Kirkistown 12 months ago when ridden by Dara McGill.
Jockey wins
On the jockey front, there were wins over jumps for Danny McMenamin at Hexham on Friday last and for Brian Hughes and Derek Fox at Kelso the following afternoon.
On Wednesday, Paddy Mathers had two rides for Ian Williams at Newcastle when he finished second, beaten a length, in the mile handicap on Parlando before winning division one of the six-furlong handicap on Charencey.
On to breeding matters and there were wins on Friday evening at Dundalk for the Brian and Ann Marie Kennedy-bred Walhaan (Dark Angel – Back In The Frame, by Dutch Art) and for the Dean Harron-bred Punk Poet (Power – Just Ching, by Fastnet Rock).
Over jumps earlier in the day, the CAFRE-bred Make Me A Believer (Presenting – Kiltiernan Robin, by Robin Des Champs) won at Exeter; there was a win at Naas on Sunday for the J.P. and Leonard King-bred Grangeclare West (Presenting – Hayabusa, by Sir Harry Lewis); and the Sean McElroy-bred four-year-old gelding East India Express (Milan – Roztoc, by Desert King) added a first time out hurdle win at Kempton to his bumper win at the same track in February on his only previous start.
A right Royal achievement
IT was good to hear from Emma Meehan, Chief Executive Officer at Down Royal, that the two-day Ladbrokes Festival of Racing was “a terrific weekend despite the stresses of rescheduling.”
There were so many people who ensured that the fixture went ahead a week later than planned but Emma paid particular tribute to her team at the racecourse and the many sponsors who were happy to support the meeting despite the change of dates.
“It would be bereft of me not to mention the mighty efforts of the team at Down Royal to turn our flagship Festival around,” said Meehan.
“Susan McCartney, Kathryn Holland, Hannah McGinn and Claire Liddle in the office worked tirelessly to deal with the thousands of customers who had pre-booked for the 3rd and 4th. They had to determine racegores’ interest, then refund or reschedule before going live with bookings. Without their efforts, we wouldn’t have salvaged what we did and the two days would not have gone off as seamlessly.
“Most important was our committed grounds team of Robert Winchester, Kyle Nixon, Nicole McKenna and Brian Fegan. Long hours were needed to save the Festival and they often pushed through the days sodden wet without cause or complaint.
“When we knew by Wednesday 1st, that the rivers around would only keep rising and encroaching, they reacted as a team ensuring that, once the water subsided and with a bit of luck from the weather Gods, we could provide the safest possible conditions.
“We had no complaints I’m happy to report. In the words of Henry Ford ‘Coming together is the beginning; keeping together is progress. Working together is success.’ I’m very grateful for the team I have at Down Royal and we certainly amplified those words.
“We are tremendously grateful to all our sponsors for their unwavering support despite the need to reschedule the meeting,” continued Meehan. “Most especially we have to thank Ladbrokes who were our lead over the two days and sponsored Saturday’s featured Grade 1 chase.”
There was a mixture of new and established sponsors over the two days, the former group including the local Lisburn and Castlreagh City Council who supported the Festival in its build-up and sponsored the opening three-year-old hurdle on the Saturday.
Another new name on the list was Eventco Marquess who were first-time Festival sponsors on the Friday.
Long-term sponsors on day one included Irish Stallion Farms, Lough Construction, the SHS Group through their Bottlegreen brand (enhancing their presence with sponsorship of Ladies’ Day (See page 15), Racing TV and United Wine Merchants.
The Tayto Group sponsored Saturday’s maiden hurdle and brought Mr Tayto along to distribute his crisps while the all-island security company Eventsec, sponsored the handicap chase.
The Haslem Hotel, newly opened in Lisburn, sponsored the listed handicap hurdle. It offered a Race & Stay option for customers which was the first activation of a new partnership between the hotel and the racecourse.
The Down Royal team are now focussing their attention on their December 26th meeting. “It should be a bumper Boxing Day given the pace of sales,” Meehan concluded.