MENTIONED elsewhere, the locally-based McCracken Farms bred a winner at last Friday evening’s Grant Thornton meeting at Down Royal in the shape of Panic Alarm who, on his third start, his first since being gelded, justified favouritism in the seven-furlong Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden for two-year-olds.

Trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, Panic Alarm, who comes from the first Irish crop of Kuroshio, is out of the non-winning Shamardal mare Thraya Queen, a half-sister to the Poet’s Voice filly Sand Zabeel who won a Group 2 race in Italy (Oaks d’Italia) and a Group 3 race in Germany.

Max Ervine bred two winners in the period under review, the 10-year-old Magical Effect (New Approach – Purple Glow, by Orientate) who scored at Catterick on Tuesday and the two-year-old X J Rascal (Kodiac – Fine If, by Iffraaj) who recorded his second career success, from five starts, at Doncaster on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, but this time at Cork, another Kodiac two-year-old, the Thomas Foy-bred Bossy Parker (out of Cute, by Diktat) won the seven-furlong nursery, while, under National Hunt rules, the Marshall Watson-bred eight-year-old Sargent Lightfoot (Jeremy – Lady Rockability, by Old Vic) made a winning debut over fences at Kilbeggan last Friday evening.

OVER 40 thoroughbreds competed at last Sunday’s Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland’s show at Piperstown Equestrian near Drogheda where, because of the heavy overnight rain, the ridden and in-hand classes were staged indoors while the working hunter classes were held outdoors as scheduled.

An excellent season for locally-based Ruth Cody and the once-raced Smokey Bay continued when the 14-year-old Definite Article gelding, who earlier won the open raced class, was crowned Irish Thoroughbred Marketing 2022 supreme champion by judges Louise Halford and Debbie Tems.

This William James-bred bay, who is out of a Zaffaran mare, previously won the open racehorse to riding horse class at Tattersalls July show, thus qualifying for the Treo Eile showing pathway final at Lambertstown show next Sunday.

Reserve

The judges’ reserve champion was the retrained race winner Big Ego who was ridden by Banbridge’s Michael McGaffin.

An eight-year-old British-bred gelding by Helmet, who is being produced for Kate Greaney by Julie Donaghy Simpson, Big Ego won a 12-furlong handicap at Gowran Park in July 2017 when trained by Andy Oliver.

Second in the ITM raced open class on Ballela To Milan, Julie, who is based between Banbridge and Loughbrickland, topped the final line-ups in both ITM unraced classes (open and retraining) on board ‘Frankie’, a four-year-old gelding by New Bay.

The final of the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders championship was also held at Sunday’s show and the judges remained consistent, awarding the title to Smokey Bay with Ballela To Milan standing reserve.

The latter, a seven-year-old Dylan Thomas gelding, won the ridden hunter class under Donaghy Simpson with Sinead McNally partnering Lexie to victory in the hack class.

Handsome Gent

Before judges Fionnuala Carey and Niamh Ashe, Emma McKeever showed the five-year-old Swiss Spirit gelding Discoland to win the in-hand hack/riding horse class, while, usually ridden by former Olympian Fiona Wentges, the 14-year-old Dr Fong gelding Habaroun was shown by Denise Norton to win the ‘Handsome Gent’ class for geldings. Elaine McCauley won the equivalent class for fillies, the ‘Glamorous Gal’, with Tia.

Carey and Ashe also judged the working hunter division where their winners were Jenny Fitzsimons on the 13-year-old Presenting gelding Peoples Park (80cms class) and Lucy Campbell with Bracken Dancer (60cms) who went on to be crowned champion.

At the end of a very enjoyable day, Smokey Bay was crowned supreme champion of show, winning the prize sponsored by Lisadell Equine Hospital. The show was organised by Comber’s Julie Morris of Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland.

Busy times for Ferris family

IT has been a busy time lately for former amateur rider Karen Ferris as she set up her own business, helped husband Eoin Barry, to run a Derby show in Maralin last Saturday and attended this week’s Somerville Yearling Sales at Newmarket.

And in that order, Karen commented: “I’ve started up my own little business called ‘Tullyrusk Equine & Pet Services’.

These services include equine sport massage, pre-training, clipping, pet sitting and dog walking. My mum Mary is working with me and services are fully insured.

“Eoin is manager of the Moira Cross Country and Schooling Gallops where they ran a Derby Day last Saturday to help Craig Kileff (Bluegrass Horse Feeds) raise money for his Corinthian Challenge. We had a great day raising £900 for the Irish Injured Jockeys fund. Many thanks to everyone who donated prizes and/or took part in the Derby.

“Maggie Allen kindly hosted this event and also supported and hosted the Moira champions’ pony racing weekend in July when we all got to meet Jack de Bromhead and watch him ride a winner. We are so heartbroken for all his family and friends. Rest in peace, Jack.

“I’ve also been doing some other freelance work and recently went to Newmarket yearling sales with the McCrackens.

“I often work on their foals and yearlings, doing some muscle work to keep them feeling good and supple. They’ve booked me in for future sales so I must have done something right!”