THERE were some excellent results for local owners/breeders/trainers and/or jockeys in the past eight days, starting last Friday at the Musgrave NI-sponsored evening meeting at Down Royal where the opening Dale Farm Dromona Hurdle for three-year-olds went to the 2/1 second favourite, Annie Agnew.

Three lengths second at 40/1 on her only previous start, which was in a three-year-old maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe last month, the Sir Percy filly was again ridden by Simon Torrens for owner Philip McBurney and trainer Gerald Quinn.

On this occasion, the bay saw off Spinning Web (5/1) and the 15/8 favourite, Doctor Nightingale, by half a length and a neck.

Bred in Britain, Annie Agnew is the sixth of eight recorded foals out of the Medicean mare Famusa whose 2022 colt by Massaat is catalogued as Lot 2073 in Book 4 of the October Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Newmarket.

A six-time winner from two to four in Italy, where she was listed-placed four times, Famusa is dam previously of the ill-fated Cape Coast (by Cape Cross) who posted three wins in his nine-race career.

Briefly halting the winning run of Co Meath’s Gordon Elliott, Draperstown trainer Noel Kelly again joined forces with amateur Orán McGill to land the two-mile, one-furlong Kerry Foods Handicap Hurdle with the 7/2 favourite, Cave Court.

This was a second win in his career – and on the trot – for the TSM Racing Syndicate’s six-year-old Court Cave gelding who got off the mark on his 10th attempt at Perth a month previously.

As mentioned then, Cave Court was bred by Niall McGrady out of the unraced Beneficial mare Ben Roseler whose six winning progeny are headed by Lie Forrit and Oscar Rose.

Local success

Less obvious as a local success was that of the Darragh O’Keeffe-ridden Spring Street who sprang a surprise when landing the Pilgrim’s Handicap Hurdle over three miles at odds of 20/1.

Winnie Woodnutt, who was sent off as the 2/1 favourite in the 17-runner field, finished three-quarters of a length back in second.

A five-year-old gelding by Champs Elysses, Spring Street is trained in Co Waterford by John Flavin for the Ruby Racing Syndicate whose members hail from around Belfast. Many of them were at last Friday’s meeting and they appeared to have supported their winner in exchanges with the bookmaking fraternity too.

Yesterday, there was an afternoon/evening flat meeting at Down Royal where Frankie Dettori was due to entertain the crowds on his farewell tour. Next Friday, the penultimate fixture of the year at Downpatrick is, of course, a National Hunt meeting so no Dettori. The feature race is the €14,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase over two miles, one furlong and 164 yards which last year was won by the Henry de Bromhead-trained, Rachael Blackmore-ridden Ingenious Stroke.

Endurance

Last Saturday, the action at Downpatrick commenced at 8.15am when there was a mass start for the 80km endurance race.

This was run off in two loops with a vet gate after the first loop at 40km. Those who took part in the 16km pleasure ride didn’t come under starter’s orders until 11am.

Five competitive trail rides over various distances and a 32km pleasure ride were started between times. A common denominator between all riders were their beaming smiles as they galloped uphill to the finish.