NEWS of a gamble being landed at Thirsk early on Saturday afternoon was well-received in Richhill where Choux, who, in a very short period of time, had been backed from 40/1 into 100/30 en route to winning division one of the Irish Stallion Farms two-year-old fillies’ maiden, had been broken at Ballybreagh.
The breaking, pre-training and sales prep yard is run, as part of Crawford Bros Racing, by Ross Crawford and his wife Kelly (née Troughton) who were only sent the bay daughter of Exceed And Excell in February.
On Saturday, the well-named Choux (who is out of the Pivotal mare Puff Pastry) scored by one and three-quarter lengths from the 125/1 shot Qwicken when making her debut for the David Evans yard and in the colours of Chris Kiely Racing for whom she was a first runner.
Stuart Crawford maintained his good run of form when sending out Raymond Scullion and Martin McGrogan’s Largy Trix to win division one of the opening two-mile maiden hurdle at Perth last Thursday week.
The seven-year-old Sans Frontieres gelding, who was ridden by Brian Hughes, was bred by Sally Cox out of the unraced Try Prospect mare, Sika Trix.
THERE was no northern-bred winner at last weekend’s two-day point-to-point at Castle Irvine, Necarne but there was one on Sunday at Stradbally where Dr Shirocco landed the concluding older geldings’ maiden for novice riders.
A first success in the saddle for Adam Ryan and trained in Co Tipperary by Andy Slattery, the winning six-year-old Shirocco gelding was bred by J.P. King and Pat Turley.
Six foals
He is the third of six recorded foals out of the Dr Massini mare Uncommited who won a point-to-point maiden and two hurdle races for Noel Hynds and is a half-sister to Afistfullofdollars (by Be My Native).
At Limerick on Tuesday, there was a first win in the second division of the near two and a half-mile handicap chase for the George Lamont-bred Stormy Master, a seven-year-old gelding by September Storm and one of only two foals out of the Blueprint mare Syndy Kate.
IN hospital recovering from surgery on Wednesday, Killylea trainer Keith Watson will have been pleased to learn that his Co Armagh yard had recorded its first flat racing double that afternoon at Cork.
With his son and assistant Marshall in charge, Watson’s first winner was the Shane Foley-ridden Iva Batt who, in the five-furlong handicap, scored for the second time in her last three starts. The three-year-old Ivawood filly runs in the ownership of the Not A Bat Idea Partnership and in the familiar colours of her breeder, John Nicholson.
Keith’s wife Claire is the owner of Odd Venture who had to survive a stewards’ enquiry before being confirmed the three-parts of a length winner of division one of the 10-furlong handicap. This was a first success on his 17th start, his sixth for Watson, for the four-year-old Epaulette gelding and a first on the track for Co Kildare-born jockey Sorcha Woods.
The 21-year-old recorded one win between the flags as an amateur – on the David Christie-trained Horendus Hulabaloo in a novice riders’ open at Punchestown in February last year – but, being so light, decided to go down the flat route, and was having her 16th ride in that code when winning on Wednesday. The 10lb claimer is apprenticed to Watson.