THERE were some weather-related issues with the roads when Noel Kelly left Draperstown for Fairyhouse last Saturday morning but they weren’t actually the reason he didn’t get home until Monday turned into Tuesday.

“The horses got back alright but it took us a lot longer!” said Kelly who had no luck with his sole runner at the Co Meath fixture but then had one winner from two runners at both Naas on Sunday and Punchestown on Monday. He also saddled two runners, one of whom finished third, at Dundalk on Monday.

“Getting home has always been our problem if we have a winner!” said Noel whose Cave Court was welcomed back to the No 1 spot at Naas by about 20 members and friends of the Magherafelt-based TSM Racing Syndicate.

Praise

The trainer was full of praise for the gelding’s regular partner, 7lb-claiming amateur Orán McGill, who gave the top-weight a brilliant ride on the soft to heavy ground.

This was a fourth win over hurdles to go with two over fences for Cave Court who was bred near Downpatrick by Niall McGrady out of the unraced Beneficial mare Ben Roseler who is dam also of five other winners. Best of the quintet were Lie Forrit (by Subtle Power), whose 12 wins included the Betfred Grand National Trial (Grade 3) at Haydock in 2015 when he was ridden by Peter Buchanan, and Oscar Rose (by Oscar) whose seven wins included a listed mares’ bumper.

While they were loud, there were only eight or nine members of the Keady-based What’s It All About Syndicate at Punchestown where Jody McGarvey partnered their That’s Me Finished to justify favouritism in the concluding 20-runner handicap hurdle.

This victory by the eight-year-old Presenting gelding was a 12th in this country this season for Kelly who has also trained one winner in Britain.

Kelly might have been out of luck at Dundalk on Monday but not so Co Tyrone trainer Pat McKenna who saddled, and led up, the family’s Cuban Grey to land the opening five-furlong handicap in the hands of Rory Mulligan.

Time out

Interviewed a while later by Fran Berry and Kevin O’Ryan on Racing TV, Pat supplied information on a couple of the yard’s runners including the evening’s successful Havana Grey gelding who was having his first start in 220 days (“Sometimes time out is good for horses”).

He also spoke of his plans for the future involving his Aussie Rules-playing son Conor and the current input of James Lambe (“He brings a lot to the table”).

Pat’s plans for the future – and the present – revolve around a low-cost running system but admits that racing comes second to his career in engineering.

“The engineering is a priority at all times because you need something to feed your habit and racing is an expensive habit!”

IT was great to see local handlers win four of the six races last Saturday at Tyrella where the two winners who gave young Downpatrick amateur Sam Hamilton his first double were also bred locally. The Hunter family’s Affinisea bay Camlin Park, who landed the opening G. Curran & Co Ltd Accountants five-year-old mares’ maiden, was bred by Jeremy Maxwell. She is the second foal out of Ismane (by Layman) who won six races on the level in her native France and comes from the family of State Man.

As mentioned when Sam recorded his first win between the flags back in early December at Tattersalls, his mount that day and in Saturday’s James Armstrong Auctioneers and Valuers winners of three, Yewtree Hill (by Kalanisi), was bred in Hillsborough by Campbell Massey out of the Gamut mare Yewtree Girl. Both of Sam’s winners were trained by his grandfather, Brian Hamilton senior.

Bred locally

Neither Carnfunnock, who won the Cosy Roof open for Largy Bloodstock, Stuart Crawford and Stephen Connor, nor Hurlershill, who landed The Morning Star Bar older geldings’ maiden for Wilson Dennison, Caroline McCaldin and Noel McParlan were bred locally.

Cragmore

However, on the following day, the five-year-old mares’ maiden at Cragmore was won by Miss Doyenne, who was bred by Callie Berry and by Berry Farms.

The Doyen chesnut is the eighth of 10 foals out of the unraced Generous mare Miss Generosity, a half-sister to the blacktype performers Value At Risk (by Kayf Tara) and Battlecry (by Accordion), whose only successful produce on the track to date is the seven-time winner Miss Eyecatcher (by King’s Theatre).

In Britain, the Tom Foy-bred nine-year-old gelding Camdonian (Shantou – Miss Garbo, by Bob Back) justified odds of 4/9 in the men’s open at Sheriff Hutton on Saturday.

The David Maxwell-owned French-bred gelding Saint Calvados also won a men’s open at Alnwick on Sunday, bringing up a double for rider Nick Orpwood.

Training treble

Gina Andrews recorded a riding and training treble at Horseheath but had to settle for second in the restricted which was won by the seven-year-old Ocovango gelding Clashhill who was, at times, trained for Wilson Dennison by Colin McKeever, Caroline McCaldin and Cormac Abernethy.

IT’s not all about Sam Ewing this week as the first of his two winners, Ballybow, previously had local connections.

Now trained for Gigginstown House Stud by Gordon Elliott, the six-year-old Flemensfirth gelding was having his third start over hurdles when landing the maiden at Naas on Saturday by nine lengths.

The bay was successful on his sole run in a bumper at Sligo in late October.

Ballybow was purchased by Gordon Elliott Racing for £110,000 at Goffs’ Spring Sale in Doncaster last May having finished second in two five-year-old geldings maidens – at Loughanmore in April and Portrush the previous month – when trained by Cormac Abernethy for Wilson Dennison. As a three-year-old, Ballybow was purchased for €90,000 by Ian Ferguson at the 2022 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

At Limerick on Tuesday, Ewing landed the two-mile maiden hurdle for colts and geldings on board the Elliott-trained 10/11 favourite Bowensonfire.

Brian Hughes also partnered two winners over jumps during the week, both of his coming on Tuesday at Newcastle.

Oisin Orr partnered winners on the all-weather at Newcastle on Thursday week last and at Wolverhampton on Tuesday, Deckie Lavery landed the bumper at Naas on Saturday, Caoilin Quinn scored over fences at Plumpton on Monday, Luke McAteer partnered another winner for the David Marnane yard at Dundalk on Wednesday when, much earlier in the day Down Under, Martin Harley was on the mark at Ipswich.

On the breeding front, the concluding bumper at Doncaster on Friday was won by the Neville Reid-bred newcomer Stormin George (25/1), a five-year-old gelding by Order Of St George out of Nickel (by Presenting), while the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle which rounded off the card at Cheltenham on Saturday was won by the Barbara Hanna-bred six-year-old gelding Sixmilebridge (Affinisea – Luck Or Logic, by Haatef).

WHEN the second half of the 2004/2005 point-to-point season commenced in the Northern Region it did so as the first half had ended with a North Down Hunt meeting at Comber, a venue since abandoned for Kirkistown where racing takes place next week. A regular visitor north, J.D. Moore recorded a double 20 years ago while there were wins for Noel McParlan, Gordon Elliott, James Smyth and Jim Keeling. The last-named partnered the Niall Madden-trained Shuil Leader who won in the colours of Nicholas (Nini) Butterly, a good friend of mine who many will remember at meetings and the awards dance. Ten years ago, when the fixture was held on February 14th, Elliott saddled the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Petit Mouchoir who scored by two and a half lengths in the hands of Roger Quinlan.

Barry O’Neill took the riding honours with a treble, Derek O’Connor moved on to a career total of 999 when landing the open on the Stuart Crawford-trained Muirhead and Pat Collins won the on the Rodney Arthur-owned and trained Sunny West.