CHECKING the results to see if any jockeys from Northern Ireland or the border counties had ridden winners in Britain in the past week, my eyes were drawn to a Press Association news item which explained why I hadn’t come across the name of Patsy Cosgrave – he’s no longer based there.

“Pat Cosgrave has left the UK to embark on a new challenge and will now call Saudi Arabia home as he continues his riding career overseas,” revealed the article.

“The 41-year-old, who was champion apprentice in Ireland in 2003, has won Group 1 contests in Germany, Australia and the UK and has ridden over 100 winners for trainers Jim Boyle, William Haggas and George Baker in his career.

“He is also no stranger to success further afield and linked up with Saeed bin Suroor to win the UAE 1000 Guineas in 2020 and was also aboard the Godolphin handler’s Gifts Of Gold on Saudi Cup night in 2021 when the duo landed the valuable Red Sea Turf Handicap.

“Cosgrave has now been handed the chance to become retained rider for 2022 Saudi Cup-winning owner Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz, an opportunity he has jumped at. He said: ‘I’d only been back from Dubai (in March) for a couple of weeks and was approached by Prince Saud Bin Salman Abdulaziz’s team about the opportunity ...

“I thought about it for a little while and decided it was a good thing to do. The racing, as well as other sports in Saudi, seems to be getting bigger and better every year and it’s an exciting time to be getting involved.”

Winning riders

Britain-based jockeys who did ride winners on the flat in the past week included Oisin Orr and Barry McHugh, who both visited the winner’s enclosure at Ripon last Saturday, with Orr also being on the mark at Beverley on Monday.

Last Friday, Dylan Browne McMonagle travelled over to Newbury where, by a neck, he landed the near mile and three-quarters fillies’ handicap on the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Night Sparkle.

On Monday evening at Ballinrobe, the Co Donegal-born jockey teamed up with his boss, Joseph O’Brien, to win the concluding extended 12-furlong maiden on the 15/8 favourite, Banned.

Also from Co Donegal, Luke McAteer was another to record multiple successes, his wins coming at Leopardstown last Thursday week (two) and at the Curragh on Saturday.

Over jumps in Britain, Brian Hughes recorded his 33rd win of the season in the extended two-mile novices’ hurdle at Stratford last Sunday on the Donald McCain-trained odds-on favourite Titanium Moon.

On Thursday, this newspaper’s Mark Boylan revealed that Hughes will be on board Hewick next Wednesday when the Shark Hanlon-trained top-weight bids to win the Galway Plate for the second year in succession.

LAST Saturday, Draperstown trainer Noel Kelly ran four horses at Cartmel and struck with the shortest-priced of the quartet when the Brian Hayes-ridden Eagle Terrace landed the four-runner extended three-mile one and a half-furlong handicap chase by two and a quarter lengths.

The youngest horse in the field, the five-year-old Gleneagles gelding was having his first run for Kelly at the Cumbrian track and his first in the colours of the Heard It All Before Syndicate.

He was previously trained by Shark Hanlon and, before him, by Denis Hogan (for whom he won once over hurdles) having started his career with John and Thady Gosden.

The Gerry McPolin-owned and bred Thornleigh Frank, a six-year-old Yeats gelding who is trained by Mark Fahey, followed up his win at Downpatrick earlier in the month when landing the two miles two-furlong handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan last Friday evening in the hands of Dillon Butler.

The following afternoon at the Curragh, the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes for two-year-olds was won by the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Kairyu who’s now two-for-two having won her maiden last month at Naas.

The Kuroshio bay was bred in Downpatrick by Patrick Turley who, through the family’s Kingsfield Stud, sold her to O’Callaghan at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale in late May for €80,000.

THE Allison Matthews-owned and ridden Tadhg put up the best defence against southern raiders at the Randox Antrim Show last Saturday when finishing second in the Open Racehorse to Riding Horse class behind the Co Wicklow combination of Jennifer Fitzpatrick and Illbebach.

Now 17 years of age, the Brian Boru gelding Tadhg failed to complete in three outings between the flags when trained by Graham McKeever but he did win twice over hurdles.

A horse who keeps his condition well, he always catches the eye in the show ring and in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Racehorse to Riding Horse class at the Dublin Horse Show last August he and Allison finished second to General Principle and Raholp native Seainin Mahon.

On a rain-soaked day, the first two places in Saturday’s final line-up of the Novice class went to the Co Meath-produced pair of Sharon Carolan on Masterson and Caitiona Bolger on Feel My Pulse. Third place was occupied by local rider Laura Gordon and World Title, a six-year-old Dandy Man gelding who won three times on the flat in Britain in 2019.

This was the penultimate qualifier in the Tattersalls Ireland Treo Eile showing pathway series which moves on to Iverk Show on Saturday, August 26th. The final will be held at the Royal Meath Show in Trim on Sunday, September 3rd.

At the second Tullymurry one-day event last Saturday, there was a sixth-place finish in the EI110 for the Steven Smith-ridden Hiya Sonny, an unraced seven-year-old Winged Love gelding owned by his breeder, Patricia Duffin, and a second successive victory in the EI100 (P) for the Connemara gelding Cahanagh Black Flyer who was ridden by Downpatrick’s Sam Hamilton for his mother Michelle.