DOWNPATRICK has been an extremely happy hunting ground this season for Portnacoo and veteran Co Antrim trainer Harry Smyth, with the pair bringing up three course wins on the bounce in the Pro Solar NI, Sam Downey Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
Ridden again by Darragh O’Keeffe, who had been aboard when the improving six-year-old won here a month ago, the 9/4 favourite picked up best to strike by two-lengths from a rallying Breagagh (also trained in Co Antrim by Michael Millar).
The plucky top-weight was scoring off a revised mark of 102, having started his winning spree for the stable when rated 84. “It’s getting easy!” quipped Smyth. “He’s a super wee horse, who I bought for very small money.
“He was very deficient in copper - copper turned him inside-out. I give everything a course of copper when they come to me. Not too many have done three [in a row at Downpatrick].”
Toi on top
Gordon Elliott rarely leaves Downpatrick empty handed and got on the scoresheet with 2/5 favourite Prends Garde A Toi, ridden by Jack Kennedy, in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle over two miles and six furlongs.
It was the Gigginstown-owned point-to-point recruit’s first start since finishing fourth in a Leopardstown Christmas Festival bumper last year and possessed too much quality for the 92-rated runner-up Augusta George, while still shaping as though he had some room for further improvement.
Assistant trainer Lisa O’Neill said: “He’s a work in progress. It’s a good starting point for him here and hopefully he will progress mentally and physically from it. It’s his first start of the season. He was runner-up in a point-to-point, so he would have had plenty of schooling done with Colin Bowe.
“He’s more of a stayer and, ideally, Jack would have probably loved getting a lead. He had to cut out his own running. You could see him getting further and softer ground will be no problem to him either.”
DOWNPATRICK’S stiff uphill finish has been the undoing of many likely winners down the years and 10/11 favourite Tell Nobody Nothin was the latest to fall victim to that punishing climb when run down by the Willie Mullins-trained Hey Sunshine in the Northern Ireland On Course Bookmakers Association Novice Handicap Hurdle.
It had looked as though the market leader was in a commanding position when facing the straight - trading as low as 1/100 in the in-running markets - but Paul Townend got a sweet tune out of the winner to make the northern trip worthwhile for the Temple Bloodstock Hey Sunshine Syndicate.
Such was the manner in which the easy-to-back 7/2 winner kept going, the margin of victory ended up being an unlikely two and a quarter lengths.
Townend said: “She jumped very well on the whole, given her lack of experience [on her second start over hurdles]. She stayed really well - we were probably flat to the boards at the top of the hill but, when she met the rising ground, she stuck at it best of all. She was giving a lot of weight away, so I think you can mark her handicap debut up. She is genuine and that is her biggest asset.”
Cave collects
There were no such problems close to the front end for the Keith Watson-trained Jimli’s Cave when tried in first-time blinkers in the Denis Macauley Memorial Handicap Hurdle over two miles and six furlongs.
The 17/2 chance had fired a warning shot when second at Wexford two starts ago before finishing down the field at Down Royal on his last appearance in late August, but this was much more like it from him for owner Geoffrey Ruddock.
Donagh Meyler had three and three quarters of a length to spare at the line on the previously winless six-year-old.
Assistant trainer Marshall Watson said: “It’s great for dad, he is 70 on Monday. Denis Macauley, who the race is named after, was a good friend of his as well.
“Big shout out to Geoffrey, he has been a great supporter and patient. Mr Ruddock deserves it more than I do. I worked this horse the other day [in blinkers] and said to everybody ‘yes, that’s him’. He travelled lovely. It has been a lean spell for us, but we are starting to show green shoots.”
Collins on target
Cian Collins bids to notch his second Welsh Champion Hurdle in three years when sending Fiveonefive to Ffos Las on Sunday, and he warmed up for that raid with a winner in the Toals Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle through Impero.
Making only his second start since joining the young trainer, the mount of Jordan Gainford was in a determined mood as 5/6 favourite and found much more for pressure than main challenger Whispering Hopes to score by seven lengths.
Collins said of the Angie O’Sullivan-owned five-year-old: “He enjoyed himself in front, but Jordan said he wouldn’t have minded some company either. He did it well and will probably stay further.
“It probably wasn’t the hottest race in the world, but it was nice to get his head in front because he has had a bit of a dose of seconditis.”
THERE was an added layer of intrigue to Friday’s card when Durham-based trainer Rebecca Menzies sent out four runners at Downpatrick and came away with an impressive double.
The brace was initiated when Boomslang (11/4 favourite) landed the Denvir’s Of Downpatrick Beginners Chase under Ross Chapman, a native of Durham. It was a decisive performance from the chasing debutant, who struck by seven lengths in the colours of Maria Myco.
Menzies said: “I was told a few months ago that [my landlord] John Wade and Maria would be coming over to meet friends at this meeting. They booked hospitality. I kind of put together a few runners that might come and then a month ago I started to put the ball in motion. They didn’t know anything about it.
“Unluckily, he saw his iPad two days ago. He’s 80 years of age and had a look on his iPad - he never normally would see, but he saw it. It kind of wrecked the surprise of having runners here.
Possible return
“We brought five over and, unfortunately, the vet pulled one out which I thought had a right chance, My Friend Yeats. We are still going back very happy. From what I could see, Boomslang jumped very well. His schooling has been class at home. He was good and brave.”
When asked if she would be encouraged to come back, Menzies replied: “Definitely. Logistically, it is not that difficult for us to come over. We obviously go through the north of England. The crowd here is brilliant, lovely racing people.”
The trainer-jockey double was completed in similarly easy fashion when winning the aptly-named Rebecca Menzies Racing 40 Winners And Counting For John Wade Handicap Chase with Edgewell (4/1 favourite) - in the colours of John Wade.