YOU can’t keep Michael Browne out of the news these days. Logo Hunter’s trainer landed a little touch at Down Royal last Friday evening when Maguire’s Grace bolted up in a five-furlong handicap. It was the filly’s first run in a handicap and she went off the 13/2 co-favourite, having been as big as 18/1 in the morning.

Michael Ryan of Boomerang Equestrian in Thurles takes up the story: “My partner Sinead Maher bred and owns the filly. Sinead runs the Boomerang Horse and Country Store in the town. The dam, Queen Grace, is named after our 12-year-old daughter Grace, and Maguire’s Grace is a reference to a family friend, Liam Maguire, who takes Grace to school every day.

“Liam loves a punt and we all got a few quid from the Down Royal race. The handicapper must have been impressed too because he has put our little filly up 11lb for the win – she’s only 15hh. Her next race will be at Tipperary.”

The first four foals out of Queen Grace have all won and Paddy Twomey is training the El Kabeir half-brother who made 40,000gns at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale this year. “We have a Churchill filly foal out of her on the ground,” reports Michael, who also wanted to praise Down Royal for sending on a beautiful photograph of Maguire’s Grace.