NORTHERN trainers won four of the seven races at Downpatrick last Friday evening but disappointingly, due to work commitments, one owner was unable to attend the meeting.

This was veterinary surgeon Isla Acheson whose Journey West landed the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Shane O’Callaghan.

The six-year-old Westerner gelding is trained by Colin McBratney who saddled many winners for Isla’s late mother, Frances Savage, including Sole Witness and Quiet Account.

Isla, who now uses her mother’s colours of green with a red sash and white sleeves, is better known among the show jumping fraternity as she competes on the amateur circuit with her seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Emoe Marley.

As so many of her horses run in Britain, Elizabeth ‘Hammy’ Hamilton hasn’t always been able to support them but she was on-site on Friday to greet her home-bred Kingfisher Lane who, at 33/1, beat the 9/2 favourite, Willyouwalkwithme, by a neck in the earlier handicap hurdle. (see page 35).

Trained by Stuart Crawford and ridden by J.J. Slevin, the six-year-old Court Cave gelding is the last of five recorded foals out of the unraced Taipan mare Taisilk.

The Liam Lennon-trained School Lane, who was turned out to perfection by his owner Joy Wilson, also scored by a neck in the near three-mile handicap chase where he was ridden by Thomas Reilly. This was a fifth win in six months for the nine-year-old Winged Love gelding who recorded the previous two over racecourse fences under the sidelined Sam Ewing while Noel McParlan partnered the bay to his two point-to-point victories.

Delighted

A delighted Ray Nicholas was also present to see his Ben Harvey-ridden Handy Headon win the Frank & Brian Fitzsimmons Memorial Hunters’ Chase.

The 10-year-old Well Chosen gelding was following up on his success in a maiden hunters’ chase at Down Royal earlier in the month while, since moving to David Christie’s yard, he has also won once and finished second twice in three outings in point-to-points.

At Gowran Park on Tuesday, the Natalia Lupini-trained Dunum won division two of the mile handicap under Wayne Lordan.

The four-year-old Ivawood gelding, who was notching up his first success on his 10th start, is owned by his breeders, Maurice Burns and Michael McCartan.