WITH no point-to-points in the northern region until the first of the spring meetings takes place at Tyrella on Saturday, January 25th, local handlers have to travel to run their horses as three of them did with success last Sunday.

Having headed down the east coast to Lingstown, Stuart Crawford saddled the newcomer Jackpot Cauveliere, who ran in the trainer’s own colours, to land the eight-runner five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Ridden by Stephen Connor, the French-bred chesnut by Kamsin scored by 20 lengths from the only other finisher.

Crawford Bros gave €30,000 for the already-named Jackpot Cauveliere at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale Part 2 to which he was consigned by Niall Bleahen’s Liss House. The gelding, who is out of an unraced Pivotal mare, is due to come up as Lot 14 at Goffs’ Coral Gold Cup Sale today at Newbury.

Catalogued as Lot 18 in the same sale is Home Made Hero who, too, won on Sunday but on his third start at Moig South where, under Deckie Lavery, he scored by three and a half lengths from the only other finisher in the seven-strong four-year-old maiden.

The son of Westerner was saddled by his owner Warren Ewing who, through David Mullins, purchased the bay for €47,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale last year. He is a half-brother to the dual hurdle winner, Doyen For Money (by Doyen).

Amazing Leader

Also on the mark at that Stonehall Harriers’ meeting was the amazing Winged Leader who, ridden by Maxine O’Sullivan, recorded his 26th victory between the flags and the 30th of his career when winning the nine-runner ladies’ open.

Bidding for a fourth successive success in as many starts this season, John Hegarty and Jenny O’Kane’s 10-year-old Winged Love gelding gave his Derrylin trainer David Christie a bit of a fright as he had to battle quite hard to justify his position as odds-on favourite by a length.

A fourth winner on the card with a northern connection was Tell The Tale although this Order Of St George gelding, who was having his third start when dead-heating for first in the four-year-old auction maiden, is trained in Co Tipperary by his owner, Sam Curling,

Another due to be sold after racing today at Newbury as Lot 17, the bay was bred at his Brentford Stud outside Comber by David Mitchell.

He is the second of five foals out of the Golan mare A Touch Of Sparkle, a hurdle-winning half-sister to Tikkanen Express from the family of Wounded Warrior and Sword Of Destiny.

Ronnie Bartlett, Ian Ferguson and Willie Mullins after Ballyburn won his bumper at Punchestown in 2023 \ Healy Racing

THE stand-out performance for many over last weekend was that recorded by Ballyburn in Saturday’s two-mile three-furlong beginners’ chase at Punchestown.

This was a seventh track success on his eighth start, his first over fences, for the son of Flemensfirth, who is trained for Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh by Willie Mullins, and his fifth under Paul Townend. The bay has previously landed three successive Grade 1 victories over hurdles for connections.

Ballyburn did, of course, first come to prominence when, in the colours of landowner and race sponsor Wilson Dennison and trained by Colin McKeever, he won a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Loughanmore in October 2022.

Following that four-and-a-half-length success in the hands of Cormac Abernethy, he changed hands privately.

Ballyburn had been purchased for Dennison by Ian Ferguson who gave €80,000 for him as a foal at the 2018 Tattersalls Ireland November Sale to which he was consigned by his breeder, Bobby McCarthy. He was at that stage a full-brother to five winners including the blacktype performers Noble Endeavour and Minella Daddy. He is now also a half-brother to the dual bumper winning mare Churchfield Sunset (by Wings Of Eagles).

The septet’s unraced dam, Old Moon (by Old Vic), was purchased by McCarthy from Aaron Metcalfe who is still breeding from that line.

Aaron bred another of Ronnie Bartlett’s well-known horses, Joe Blake who, trained at times by Len Lungo and Ian Ferguson, won six point-to-points and seven chases.

Twenty-seven years ago that Jurado gelding had been sent to Brenda McMillen to prepare for sale at her Hillcrest Stables. However, found to be a shiverer, his first public appearance was put on hold and, having raided her son Matthew’s child benefit fund, Brenda was able to buy the bay, put him into training and then sell to Bartlett.

“Ronnie was very good to us and included us in everything the horse did afterwards,” she revealed.

Daire McConville - on the mark at Hereford \ Healy Racing

BRIAN Hughes recorded his 37th success of the season on Tuesday when the British-bred Blue Bresil gelding Old Blue Eyes landed the bumper at Sedgefield on his debut.

The four-year-old is trained by Donald McCain who, the previous Friday, had supplied Hughes with one of his three winners at Catterick, Presentandcounting in the three-mile, one-furlong handicap chase.

Also across the water, Daire McConville was on the mark at Hereford on Wednesday while at home Sam Ewing landed the Grade 2 BetVitor Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown last Sunday on the Gordon Elliott-trained Touch Me Not.

Last Thursday week, the Ed Walker-trained Noble Champion scored on the second time of asking when landing a seven-furlong race for two-year-olds at Lingfield.

Five winners

The Lope De Vega colt was bred by Tom Foy and the Lope De Vega Syndicate out of the Diktat mare Cute who is dam of five other winners, headlined by the multiple blacktype winner Pogo (by Zebedee).

There were a couple of winners to note at Dundalk. Last Friday evening the six-furlong handicap was won by the Tony Martin-trained Smooth Daddy filly Jackie Brown who was bred locally by Fergus Cumiskey. The winner’s dam, Patty Paige (by Haatef) had been briefly trained by Stuart Crawford who, earlier in the month, saddled the Australia filly Annaghmccanns to win at Dundalk in the colours of Cumiskey’s wife Sandra.

At the Co Louth track on Wednesday just past, the five-year-old Cotai Glory gelding Cousin Shay landed division two of the mile handicap on his first start for the Natalia Lupini yard.

IN case anyone has avoided hearing about Christmas thus far, we have been reminded by our good friend Joan Cunningham that the Saintfield Christmas Charity Ride takes place next Saturday, December 7th.

Readers should grab a horse and some Santa Claus gear and get to the Church of Mary, Mother of the Church on the Crossgar Road in time for the mulled wine and mince pie reception at 11am.

Participants should be mounted to leave the large car-park at 12 noon, follow the route to the Main Street of Saintfield and to the Christmas tree before returning to the church via the back entrance.

The cost of the ride is £20 for adults and £10 for children. Entries are now open and can be made online at www.saintfieldhorseshow.com.

If you have any queries about the event, you can contact Joan on 07775 860744 or by email joancunningham1@gmail.com.