THERE were some interesting results from a local perspective at the Virgin Bet Raceday in Ayr on Tuesday where the first division of the opening conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle was won by the Gail Kidd-bred Upfordebate.

This six-year-old Mount Nelson gelding, who was recording his first success on his eighth start, is out of the five-time winning Brian Boru mare Mrs Peachey who is dam also of the four-time winner Duke Of Deception (by September) and comes from the family of Mighty Mogul and Court Leader.

When Ronnie Lilley’s The Jeweller’s Pet landed the second division, he initiated a double for his trainer Ian Duncan who I spoke to briefly a few weeks back in relation to Richard Tolerton’s obituary which appeared in the Irish Horse World pages in the issue of Saturday, January 11th.

The Scotland-based Co Antrim native brought up his brace in the extended three-mile handicap hurdle with Maura Jeanne who he bred himself. This eight-year-old Sulamani mare, who was winning for the second time in her career, is out of another home-bred mare in Watch Closely Now (by Winged Love).

The concluding mares’ bumper on the eight-race card was won, on her debut, by the Conduit-sired Royal Hillsborough who scored by three and three-quarter lengths in the colours of Trevor Campbell.

Nine-time scorer

Bred by Hugh Suffern Bloodstock, the chesnut five-year-old is the last recorded produce out of the unraced Insan mare Dansana, whose previous three winners were headed by the nine-time scorer Perfect Candidate (by Winged Love).

The seven-year-old Leading Light gelding Dance Thief, who won the afternoon’s extended two-mile handicap chase, began his career at Crawford’s Larne yard from where, in 2022, he ran unplaced in all three of his starts between the flags.

Other winners in Britain who were previously trained locally were El Rio (ex Kevin Ross) and Bold Action (ex Warren Ewing) who both won at Kempton last Friday; Credo (ex Noel Kelly) who won at Exeter on Sunday; and Better Days Ahead (another former Ewing charge) who landed the Grade 2 William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novice Chase at Navan on Sunday.

The near two and a half-mile starsportsbet.co.uk Handicap Hurdle at Hereford on Wednesday was won by the Soldier Of Fortune gelding Oh My Johnny who was scoring for the second time on his fifth racecourse start.

He ran once between the flags here, falling at the last when disputing the lead in a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Loughrea last May.

Oh My Johnny was then trained by Noel Kelly who bred the bay out of the Milan mare Milan Dancer, a half-sister to the seven-time winner Vinndication (by Vinnie Roe), who won four point-to-points and was placed over hurdles and fences.

The two-mile, five-furlong handicap chase at Hereford was won by the six-year-old Hillstar gelding Everyonesacritic who was bred by Mayne Kidd out of Loughbrickland Rose.

That September Storm mare, who comes from the family of Rose Of Tracarta, King Wah Glory and Western Rose, won a five and six mares’ maiden at Loughbrickland in March 2015.

Elsewhere, there were wins at Ffos Las last Thursday week for the Ivor McGrath-bred six-year-old mare Sunset Marquesa (Walk In The Park – Be My Sunset, by Bob Back), at Chepstow on Sunday for the Patricia Doran-bred 10-year-old gelding Lightonthewing (Winged Love – Neat ‘n Nimble, by Generous) and at Lingfield on Tuesday for the Paul and Margaret Haughey-bred six-year-old gelding Aworkinprogress (Soldier Of Fortune – Reine d’Or, by Presenting).

The standout performances on the jockey front over the past week came from Danny McMenamin, who recorded a double at Uttoxeter on Saturday, and Sam Ewing who, the following afternoon at Navan, completed a brace on the aforementioned Better Days Ahead.

THE popular Tynagh and Armagh point-to-point takes place next Saturday at Farmacaffley where, in 2005, there eight races on the card with the five and six-year-olds geldings’ maiden and the five, six and seven-year-old mares’ maiden being divided.

The late J.T. McNamara and Robert Widger both completed doubles, the latter denying J.D. Moore a brace after he had landed the seven-runner confined hunt race on the Abednego gelding All Three.

That 4/6 favourite made virtually all to score by six lengths in the colours of his breeder, the late Dr Fitz Gillespie. There were single successes also for Robbie Moran, James Smyth and Maeve Gormley who is mentioned elsewhere in this column as a winning breeder.

Ten years later there were no divides but there was a double for Barry O’Neill and David Christie in the open (The Hard Hat) and winners of two (Harbour Pirate).

Donning the colours of his late uncle Rodney, Marshall Watson landed the confined hunt race on Illusion Of Time which he also trained.

All winners were locally-trained with Ian Ferguson sending out Wilson Dennison’s Mont Choisy to claim the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, Jerry Cosgrave saddling the Noel McParlan-partnered Zeinab to land the mares’ maiden in the colours of her breeder, the late Brian Kilpatrick, while the older geldings’ maiden was won by the John Bryson-owned and trained Gonal who scored by three lengths in the hands of Neil Gault.

NOT too surprisingly, the best local results on the point-to-point scene last weekend were recorded on Saturday at Kirkistown where Noel McParlan initiated a double in the ITBA five and six-year-old mares’ maiden on the French-bred No Risk Today. Trained for owner Philip McBurney by Gerald Quinn, the 2020 No Risk At All bay is due to come under the hammer at Tattersalls Cheltenham next Friday.

The rider completed his double in the concluding INHSC older geldings’ maiden where Karen Millar’s Drumnasoo provided farrier Ross Tumility with his first training success between the flags.

The 2019 Flemensfirth gelding, who was having his second start for his present handler, was bred by Sean McElroy out of the Winged Love mare Drapers Hill, a half-sister to the three-time Grade 1-winning hurdler Go Native (by Double Eclipse).

Deckie Lavery mirrored McParlan’s feat with a double of his own through the Gavin Cromwell-trained Court Canyon in the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale five-year-old geldings’ maiden and Hathaways Cottage in the mares’ winners of two.

That seven-year-old Mahler bay is trained by David Christie for Ray Nicholas. Stephen Connor landed the open on Largy Bloodstock’s Getaway gelding Carnfunnock who is trained by Stuart Crawford.

Two winners at Sunday’s Scarteen meeting in Comea, Co Tipperary were won by horses bred in Northern Ireland.

The first of these was Taurus Bay who landed the opening Goffs Arkle Sale four-year-old maiden on his debut.

Trained by Denis Murphy but due to be sold at Tattersalls Cheltenham next Friday, the Poet’s Word bay was bred by Callie Berry out of the unraced Shantou mare Tea Time Tilly, a half-sister to the Group 2-placed listed winner Techno Queen (by Manduro) from the family of Tryphaena, Turfkonig, etc.

Trained by Declan McNamara, Townhill Lass won the confined maiden by half a length.

This six-year-old daughter of Sans Frontieres was bred by Maeve Gormley out of the Winged Love mare Roughandtumble, an own-sister to Thomas Patrick whose four wins included the Grade 3 Betway Handicap Chase at Aintree. This is also the family of Walden, God’s Owen and Ginny’s Destiny.

Across the water, there were wins on Saturday at Brocklesby Park for the Jane Buchanan-bred seven-year-old gelding Glenmount (Court Cave – Zaffarella, by Zaffaran) and the Aaron Stronge-bred eight-year-old mare Salacia’s Storm (Mahler – Shershewill, by Shernazar); also on Sunday at Higham for the Aaron Metcalfe-bred eight-year-old gelding Graveside Lad (Presenting – Rosie Brook, by Be My Native).

ITBA Northern breeders’ evening

LOCAL trainer Natalia Lupini will be joined by Johnny Murtagh, Nick Nugent and Cassie Tully on the panel at the ITBA Northern Region breeders’ evening in the Belmont House Hotel, Banbridge next Wednesday, February 19th.

Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm with host James Griffin scheduled to start the discussion ‘From pedigree to parade ring’ at 7pm.

To register your attendance, email ddeveney@itba.ie or ‘phone the ITBA main office on +353 45 877543.