WHILE it was disappointing for someone like me, who prefers big field handicaps to most other types of races, the numbers fell short over Derby weekend at the Curragh.

It certainly wasn’t great to see Saturday’s meeting conclude with a four-runner maiden but at least this seven-furlong contest for three-year-old colts and geldings was won by a locally-bred gelding in the Dandy Man gelding Arnaman.

Dream victory

Trained by Ken Condon and ridden by Billy Lee, the 11/10 favourite, who won by a length, was bred by Leslie Laverty out of the Giant’s Causeway mare My Causeway Dream who is the dam of four other winners – one also by Dandy Man, two by Elzaam and one by Strategic Prince.

Over jumps, there was a win at Cartmel on Sunday for the Paul and Margaret Haughey-bred eight-year-old gelding City Derby (Ask – Reine d’Or, by Presenting) and at Tipperary on Tuesday for the Turley Family-bred nine-year-old mare Good As Hell (Shantou – Irish Molly, by Tikkanen).

McMonagle keeps shining

IT’s been very quiet on the racing front of late so thanks to the talented Dylan Browne McMonagle for riding two winners in the period under review. Both were for his boss, Joseph O’Brien, and both were maiden winners by Gleneagles.

At the Curragh last Saturday, jockey and trainer struck in the three-year-old and upwards mile maiden with the 4/7 favourite Galen who won by nine lengths, while at Roscommon on Tuesday, the 8/15 favourite Green Triangle scored by half that distance in the two-year-old maiden over just short of a mile.

Patsy’s double

Also on the flat, Patsy Cosgrave recorded a double at Lingfield on Saturday and was on the mark again at Epsom on Wednesday.

Under National Hunt rules across the water, Danny McMenamin visited the winner’s enclosure at Cartmel on Sunday and at Perth on Thursday while Caoilin Quinn rode a winner at Worcester on Monday.

At home on Thursday, Sam Ewing landed the extended two and a half mile handicap hurdle at Tipperary on the Gordon Elliott-trained Clodders Dream and, not too long afterwards, Dara McGill won the concluding amateur race over an extended mile and a half at Bellewstown on the Bill Durkan-trained Eagle’s Way. Yes, another son of Gleneagles.

DOWNPATRICK’s CosyRoof Family Fun Raceday takes place on Monday week, July 15th, and the track is determined to live up to the fixture’s billing as ‘Probably The Best Family Fun Raceday Anywhere!’. The word ‘FREE’ features a lot.

Okay, as an adult you have to pay in to the meeting but, if you pre-book online, two children can accompany you for free and, on arrival, there will be free goodie bags, free ice cream, a free soft drink and free crisps. Already it’s so much better than staying at home!

The free attractions include the chance to meet T-Rex, the Roaring Stomping Dino and his friends, stilt walkers, face painting, the opportunity to meet an alpaca, dog agility displays by the K9arc team and displays by the Northern Ireland school of falconry.

There’s the children’s entertainment zone, disco dancing and talent competitions and the horse education station.

Most of the attractions are sponsored by local companies while Co Meath trainer Gordon Elliott is supporting the ‘Kids Down Derby’.

The small print

Now, the thing is, not all of the attractions are free and charges do apply in some cases. Also, so as not to frighten the horses and make sure the meeting goes ahead, some of the activities only take place between 12 noon and 2pm so get there early. And, of course, to avoid traffic build-ups, if you do get there early and stay on late, you can enjoy live music before and after racing.

Oh yes, the racing. Well, at last year’s fixture, which took place on Thursday, July 13th, racegoers had to wait until the concluding Cosy Roof INH Flat Race before they could welcome home a locally-trained winner. And then, as the James Lambe-trained, Anna McGuinness-ridden, Richard Behan-owned Feast was returned at 150/1, there wouldn’t have been too many cheering when the Walk In The Park gelding scored by a nose.

Lucca settles for second with a pole down

WE were ready to cheer home a locally-owned, trained, bred and ridden international event winner last Sunday until one of those pesky poles in the show jumping phase of the CCI3*L at the SemaLease Kilguilkey House International in Co Cork threw itself to the ground!

Ridden by Antrim’s Lucca Stubington for her mother, Georgia, and bred by John Kidd, the 14-year-old September Storm gelding Quingenti had taken the lead following Saturday’s cross-country phase where the unraced bay was the only one to beat the clock. Unfortunately, those four penalties incurred in the show jumping ring meant that he and Lucca had to settle for second behind New Zealand’s Sam Lissington and her mare Delarado.