I’M going to start this week’s round-up with successful owners and, in particular, the Orchard Garden Syndicate whose colours were carried to victory twice lately on horses trained in Co Kildare by Katy Brown.

The first of the pair to strike was the eight-year-old Valirann gelding Petrol Head who justified 7/4 favouritism when landing a two-mile, one-furlong handicap hurdle at Bellewstown on Saturday, July 6th.

The more important one as far as I’m concerned – because I napped him – was the 12/1 shot Reinforce who, having led a furlong down, held on to win the five-furlong handicap at Navan last Saturday by three-quarters of a length.

On the same afternoon, but over in England, or is it Wales ... better look it up ... near the border but, yes, Chester is in England, and it was there that the Derby Bar Syndicate’s Grey Fable rewarded favourite backers when winning the opening apprentice handicap for the Karl Thornton yard.

Jockey front

On Wednesday, the Patricia Hunt-owned, Noel Meade-trained Monasterboice also justified favouritism when winning the mile maiden for colts and geldings at Killarney while at Clairefontaine, Mickaël Seror saddled Caolan Woods’ six-year-old Court Cave gelding Deep Cave to win the two-mile two-furlong conditions hurdle.

On the jockey front and under National Hunt rules at home, there were wins at Kilbeggan on Friday for Jody McGarvey, Sam Ewing and Sam Torrens and at Wexford on Saturday for Deckie Lavery.

Across the water, Caoilin Quinn recorded his fifth win of the season when the John O’Shea-trained Outback Frontiers landed the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Stratford on Sunday. On the flat there were wins for Darragh Keenan at Salisbury on Saturday, for Oisin Orr at Ayr on Monday and for Paddy Mathers at Thirsk on Wednesday.

On the level at home, there was a win for Luke McAteer on Friday at Dundalk where Dylan Browne McMonagle rode one winner for his boss, Joseph O’Brien. The Co Kilkenny trainer supplied Browne McMonagle with two more winners at Killarney on Monday and one more at the same Co Kerry track on Tuesday.

At that same meeting, Shane Foley partnered the Jessica Harrington-trained Mo Ghille Mar to victory in the near mile and a half handicap.

This was a second career success for the three-year-old Zoffany filly who was bred at his Drumroy Farm by Andrew McNally out of the unraced Galileo mare First Love.

Down Derby keeps all the kids at play

ONE could spend far too much time looking at the hundreds of photographs taken by numerous photographers of the CosyRoof Family Fun Raceday at Downpatrick last Monday.

In a couple, we caught sight of The Irish Field’s advertising sales and marketing manager Brendan McArdle interviewing some of the participants in the Kids Down Derby – but afterwards, at the top of the hill, not during it, which would be a lot more fun! (see photo page 9)

Thankfully, Sam Ewing did his bit for North of Ireland-born jockeys by landing the opening two-mile, two-furlong ITBA Mares Maiden Hurdle on the 11/4 shot Hey Whatever.

The four-year-old El Kabir grey, who is trained by Gordon Elliott, sponsor of that Kids Down Derby, beat Liam Lennon’s charge She Can Do It, by half a length.

The following CosyRoof Maiden Hurdle over the same trip for colts and geldings was won by another grey, the Alex Harvey-partnered 7/2 chance Shinnhill who is trained in Loughbrickland by Neil McKnight.

The very lightly-raced seven-year-old runs in the colours of Newry’s Denise Kernaghan who bred the son of Conduit out of Blazing Love.

That unraced 2004 Fruits Of Love mare, who was a half-sister to the Group 3-winning Choisir mare Lady Springbank, has bred three previous winners – all by Whitmore’s Conn – the 2010 gelding Itsallaboutme (two wins), the 2011 gelding Bob Mac (five wins) and the 2012 gelding Shumaker (seven wins including two on the flat). Denise has retained three fillies out of Blazing Love.

Those who go racing exclusively at Downpatrick can take a breath or two before getting ready for Music and Style Sunday on August 11th. And the same applies to fans of Down Royal as, following yesterday’s meeting, there is a break in the action until the Musgrave NI Race Evening on Friday, August 30th.

Susie Berry - ready for action at the Olympics \ Lorraine O'Sullivan

Berry, Coyle and Lyle on Olympic duty

THE very best of luck to all the Irish who are competing in the equestrian disciplines of the Olympic Games, which commence in Paris next Friday, but particularly to the three riders from Northern Ireland – Susie Berry, Daniel Coyle and Abigail Lyle. The equestrian events are taking place at the Palace of Versailles.

Dromore native Susie Berry will be the first into action as the eventing competition gets underway on Saturday with the dressage phase, followed by cross-country on Sunday and show jumping on Monday.

Susie rides Anne Marling and Sue Wilkinson’s Wellfields Lincoln, an 11-year-old Anglo European Studbook-registered Luidam gelding whose dam, Primatech (by Priolo), was placed twice on the flat.

Depending on the draw, Bangor-born Abigail Lyle could ride her Grand Prix dressage test on either Tuesday, July 30th, or Wednesday, July 31st. Abi, who is competing as an individual, will partner the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Giraldo, a brown son of Rousseau, who she owns in partnership with Caroline Clarry.

The first show jumping competition is scheduled for Thursday, August 1st. From Ardmore, Co Derry, Daniel Coyle has been nominated with the 14-year-old Zangersheide mare Legacy (by Chippendale Z) who he owns in partnership with Canada’s Ariel Grange.

Saintfield set for take off

THERE are a few non-racing horsey events coming up in the next couple of months that readers might like to support.

We have to start with our friend Joan Cunningham’s Saintfield Horse Show which is being kindly hosted this year by Andrew and Laura Napier at their Hazeldene Farm, Ballynahinch, on Saturday, August 24th.

Those living in the Downpatrick area may be aware that the organisers have carried out what they term an “initial recce” of the course for this year’s St Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride which is scheduled for Saturday, September 7th.

On the same day, Raymond Bredy, he of the well-known voice, and Adrienne Stuart, she of the well-known Gransha Equestrian Centre, are doing a skydive in aid of Air Ambulance NI. Please see their fund-raising page on JustGiving to support this much-needed service.