TWO restricted trainers from Northern Ireland will recall last Friday, October 23rd, very differently.

First up, Glenavy’s Michael Millar saddled his first winner on the racecourse when the Denis O’Regan-ridden Lady Of The Sea landed the afternoon’s two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at Sligo. Michael was on the mark again in Clonmel on Thursday with American Image ridden by Aileen O’Sullivan.

The eight-year-old Milan mare, who runs in the colours of the MJC Syndicate, was bred in Co Wexford by Jim Mernagh out of Blueberry Bramble, an unraced Pistolet Bleu half-sister to Seven Towers (by Roselier). The bay’s only previous success had come in her breeder’s colours in a three-mile handicap hurdle at Wexford in July 2018.

Lady Of The Sea is one of three horses in full work at Millar’s Co Antrim yard where there are also five horses in pre-training. Facilities include 13 stables, a six-bay horse walker, a two-furlong sand gallop and a five-furlong grass gallop with three fences.

Most riding is done by Neil Gault who led up Lady Of The Sea on Friday and had earlier partnered the Millar-trained Deo Bellator in the mares’ handicap hurdle.

Michael is involved in the family’s fruit and vegetable wholesale business in Lisburn and it was through a brassica vegetable that he became interested in thoroughbred horses, having learned to ride on sport horses.

“I was visiting one of my cauliflower growers one day and he showed me this point-to-point horse who I bought and I’ve had one ever since,” he explained.

Wells misses out

Unfortunately for Portadown’s Alan Wells things didn’t go so well for him on Friday at Dundalk Stadium where his appeal against the decisions of the Punchestown stewards on October 13th was heard, and dismissed, by Nick Wachman (in the chair), Laurence McFerran and James Hunt.

“I went there hoping the fine and suspensions would be reduced if not overturned entirely,” said Wells, owner, trainer and rider of Eileens Boy who had finished seventh of 18 in a maiden hurdle at the Co Kildare track.

The six-year-old September Storm gelding was a 200/1 shot that day while, when falling at the same venue at the end of September, he was a 300/1 chance.

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Wells who, as rider was suspended for 21 racedays and, as trainer, was fined €3,000. Eileens Boy was suspended for 60 days, from October 14th to December 13th.

“The fine is huge and I’m certainly not going to be able to pay that at once. I’ll have to get on to the Turf Club (IHRB) to see if I can pay it in instalments and then, if I haven’t paid if off by the time the horse’s suspension is over, he probably won’t be able to run. It’s very tough on a small operation like ours where racing is a hobby, paid for by our farming business.”