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SAM Ewing, who has been nominated for a 2024 Horse Racing Ireland National Hunt achievement award for his Cheltenham Festival-winning ride on Stellar Story, kept local punters happy at Down Royal last weekend.
On Friday, the Templepatrick-born jockey recorded his first ever treble when riding three of the four winners saddled by his boss Gordon Elliott while on Saturday, when the Co Meath trainer again sent out four winners, Ewing was on board two of the quartet.
The first of Elliott’s winners on the second day was with Prairie Angel who, in the colours of her Co Down breeder Sean Sweeney and Kieran O’Hare, followed up two wins on the flat when justifying 11/10 favouritism in the Lisburn And Castlereagh City Council 3-Y-O Hurdle.
On Sunday, 20-year-old Ewing brought his tally for the season to 39 when landing the Paddy Power “Did You Watch The Breeders Cup At All?” Mares’ Maiden Hurdle on the Noel Meade-trained Blue Mosque.
Referring back to Down Royal on Friday, Elliott won the bumper with Jacob’s Ladder who, on his second track start, was sent off as the 8/15 favourite.
At Oldtown in February, the Mount Nelson bay landed the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on his only outing between the flags.
Ridden that day by Noel McParlan and trained by Peter Buchanan for his uncle Ian Buchanan, Jacob’s Ladder was sold shortly afterwards at Cheltenham where he was knocked down to Gordon Elliott Racing for €110,000.
Crawford weekend double
Also on Friday, the Lough Construction Ltd Handicap Hurdle was won by the Stephen Connor-ridden Paddy’s Milestone, a five-year-old Malinas gelding out of a Winged Love mare who is trained for the locally-based Landmark Syndicate by Stuart Crawford.
The following afternoon at Ayr, the Crawford-trained Ottizzini landed the extended three-mile handicap hurdle for three of her four registered breeders Victoria Brann, Catherine Gabbett and Anthea Smyth.
In scoring by nine lengths, the seven-year-old Sea Moon mare brought up his 1,000th career win for Daryl Jacob. It’s some time since I wrote a short feature about the Wexford jockey following his success in the British point-to-point men’s novice riders’ championship.
For the second weekend in a row, Brian Hughes recorded a big race win when landing Saturday’s Grade 2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on the Patrick Neville-trained The Real Whacker.
Dedicated the win
In post race interviews, Hughes revealed that this was his first time to ride in the three-mile chase and he dedicated the win to his good friend Graham Lee who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall at Newcastle last year.
Hughes said: “I started in Howard Johnson’s nearly 20 years ago and Graham won this race that year (2004) on Grey Abbey. I said to him yesterday if I win it I’ll dedicate it to him.”
On Sunday, Hughes partnered his 31st winner of the campaign when the Nicky Richards-trained Castle Rushen won the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at Carlisle where Danny McMenamin won the opening Gordon Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase on the Ann Hamilton-trained Dare To Shout.
The Downpatrick-born jockey notched up his 23rd win of the season at Sedgefield on Tuesday on Chris Grant’s charge, Bebside Banter.
On the flat
Also in Britain but on the level, there were wins at Newmarket’s final meeting of the season on Saturday for Darragh Keenan and Oisin Orr, both of whom were on the mark later in the week. while on the home front Dylan Browne McMonagle, who has been nominated for a 2024 Horse Sport Ireland Flat award, landed a treble at the Curragh last Sunday.
Last Friday evening at Dundalk, Proleek Prince, who is trained in Co Louth by his breeder Michael Rice for the Slieve Foye Syndicate, won the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap over a mile while the Mick Halford and Tracey Collins-trained Slieve Binnian landed the concluding mile and a half handicap in the colours of Castelwellan’s Paul Rooney.
Back across the water on Wednesday, there was an across-the-card double for the Iain Jardine yard. At Musselburgh, the 33/1 shot Zaphea, a three-year-old Dandy Man filly, won the opening five-furlong handicap in the hands of Andrew Mullen.
Shortly afterwards at Nottingham, Rob Havlin landed the five-furlong handicap on the Kodiac gelding Parisiac who was sent off at 10/1.
Both winners run in the colours of Omagh native Darrell Torrens who celebrated the win at Musselburgh in the company of some Irish friends.
Maxwell’s French win
HEADING beyond the confines of Ireland and Great Britain, we took note of a win at Compeigne on Saturday afternoon for the David Maxwell-owned Lascar Du Mathan.
Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the Doctor Dino gelding made his racecourse debut in the two-mile, one-furlong Prix de Saint-Raphael, a hurdle race for three-year-olds having their first start over jumps.
The bay, who was ridden to a short-neck victory on heavy ground by James Reveley, is out of the Turgeon mare Delice Nouba who won once on the flat and twice over hurdles and comes from the family of Draconien and Cash Back. Maxwell was also among the winners in Newbury’s bumper on Thursday.
Across the Atlantic, we noticed that Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar was won by a Ghostzapper five-year-old named Moira. We also noticed that among those celebrating the bay’s half-length success was Saul McHugh who we remember riding in point-to-points here, often in the colours of his grandfather, Felix O’Neill. Earlier the same day, but on the other side of the country and over jumps, Leslie Young won three races at Pine Mountain with three Irish-breds, ridden by Jamie Baragry, and one with the Paddy O’Hanlon-partnered Irish-bred Rucker Road at Montpelier Station.
Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup dominated the racing news down under this week, and we were pleased to see Co Donegal native Martin Harley ride a winner at Eagle Farm on Saturday (Our Benefactor in an AU$85,000 three-year-old handicap) and one at Ipswich on Thursday.
GORDON Elliott wasn’t the only Co Meath resident to make his mark at Down Royal last weekend as Lisa Walsh won Saturday’s bottlegreen best-dressed competition in an outfit supplied by Drumconrath-based Envious Styling & Dress Hire paired with a headpiece and bag by Fiona Rafter.
Amazingly, the winner of the afternoon’s bottlegreen style award was an Elliott but, this time, Charlotte Elliott from Ballymoney whose outfit and gloves came from H&M while she wore a striking hat from Fee McToal.
The judging panel featured Cool FM presenter Rebecca McKinney, Courtney Cameron who is national account manager at bottlegreen Drinks plus Hannah Johns, Miss Northern Ireland 2024 alongside her twin sister Megan.
Lisa, whose amazing Shop, Stay and Spa prize included an overnight stay at the Culloden Estate & Spa and a shopping spree at Victoria Square, expressed her excitement and surprise after winning: “I’m over the moon and completely taken aback to be named this year’s Best Dressed Lady. Fashion and beauty have always been my passion, and being chosen as the winner from such a stylish group of women is an incredible honour. My heartfelt thanks to the judges for this unforgettable recognition.”
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