IT was a great week for the McGill family with Orán being the first to strike when joining forces with Noel Kelly to win the two-mile amateur jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Perth on Tuesday with Cave Court.

This was a first win for the six-year-old Court Cave gelding who was bred by Niall McGrady out of the unraced Beneficial mare Ben Roseler and is thus a half-brother to the multiple blacktype scorers Lie Forrit (by Subtle Power) and Oscar Rose (by Oscar) and three other winners.

At the Scottish track the following day, Dara McGill partnered the Philip McBurney-owned, Gerald Quinn-trained Aughafatten to win the concluding bumper on his track debut. The Mahler bay won a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballingarry in May on his fifth start between the flags.

Later on Wednesday, but at Galway, Orán combined with his father Gary to land the concluding extended two mile six furlong handicap hurdle with the Taphouse Syndicate’s Building Bridges who, in following up his win at Down Royal in early June, had to divide the spoils with the Gerry McPolin-owned and bred Thornleigh Frank who brought up a hat-trick.

Noel Kelly had preceded his win at Perth by saddling Herculaneum to win Friday’s apprentice handicap at Down Royal where Andy Oliver trained the winner of the earlier fillies’ handicap, Gradulations.

And Kelly wasn’t the only local trainer to score on Tuesday at Perth as the opening two-mile novices’ hurdle went to the Stuart Crawford-trained Park Annonciade, the 4/11 favourite.

DOWNPATRICK racecourse kindly hosted last Thursday week’s press and sponsor launch of Saintfield Horse Show in its Brownlow Suite where show director Joan Cunningham greeted guests in the company of track manager, Richard Lyttle.

Among those in attendance were racecourse chairman Peter Stewart plus directors Adelle Rea and Noel Chance (who will judge the show’s racehorse to riding horse class). Dermot Curran, the longest serving Councillor in Northern Ireland who has been a great supporter of the show, and the Saintfield Christmas Ride, attended along with others from Newry, Mourne and District Council.

Two VIP guests were Gerry McPolin and his wife Margaret who are hosting this year’s show on the Downpatrick Road, Ballynahinch, on Saturday, August 26th. Gerry was on the receiving end of many congratulations following the recent wins of his home-bred hurdler, Thornleigh Frank. Since the launch, the Mark Fahey-trained six-year-old has brought up a hat trick.

There are three new championships for 2023 – for Irish Draughts, coloured horses and veterans (horses) – and you can check out the full schedule for the show on its website or Facebook page. And don’t forget, if you don’t have a horse or pony to exhibit you can always make an on-the-field entry for your pet dog.

There will be the usual array of trade stands, best-dressed competitions and live country music with Boxcar Brian and Gerard Dornan.

LAST October, at its final meeting of the season, Downpatrick racecourse named a race after the local St Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride which takes place this year on Saturday, September 2nd, and, as usual, starts and ends at the track.

Whether you are entering the endurance ride (80k with a mass start), one of the competitive trail rides (from 32k to 80k) or one of the pleasure rides (16k (no beach) and 32k), all entries must be made in advance and online using the Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA) system.

Entries are now open to all ILDRA members and will open to non-members at 6pm on Monday.

As usual, the ride organisers are looking for help before (at weekends this month), during and after the event and today have organised a beach clean at Tyrella. See their Facebook page for further details.

AS they say themselves, August is style month at Downpatrick racecourse with two fashion fixtures, Music and Style and Ladies Day, taking place on Sunday next, August 13th and on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28th respectively.

Music and Style Sunday at Ireland’s oldest racecourse features the most stylish hat and accessories competition while the Bank Holiday Monday fixture features the most appropriately-dressed lady and best-dressed gentleman competitions.

At this time of year, with the point-to-point horses coming in and yearlings being prepared for sale, hats and fashion may not the first thing Patrick Turley thinks of each morning but who knows? However, if you would like to know more about the man who trains in the centre of the track at Downpatrick, check out this week’s Big Interview in page 16-17.

Bred by the Turleys and J.P. King, the seven-year-old Sageburg gelding Do No Wrong recorded his second win over fences and his third in total when landing the three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Uttoxeter last Friday.

Trained by Justin Landy, Do No Wrong is out of the dual-winning hurdler Uncommited (by Dr Massini), a half-sister to Afistfullofdollars (by Be My Native).

Other locally-bred winners over jumps in the past week or so included the Fergal O’Brien-trained The Derry Girl who won the two-mile mares’ maiden hurdle at Worcester on Tuesday.

Bred by Colm McHenry, the seven-year-old Westerner bay is out of the Even Top mare Knocklayde Rose who was placed twice over hurdles and won a point-to-point. From the family of Bishops Road, she is the dam of two other winners.

The Joseph Cunningham-bred six-year-old Mole Court (Court Cave – Running Wild, by Anshan) brought up a hat trick over fences on Thursday at Stratford where, in landing the near two and a half-mile handicap chase on the Sophie Leech-trained Arcade Attraction, Brian Hughes recorded his sixth success in a week.

Four winners

Dylan Browne McMonagle rode four winners on the flat in the same time frame, Oisin Orr recorded doubles at York last Friday and at Beverley on Tuesday; there was a first win for Glaslough’s Orla McKenna at Gowran on Saturday; and, finally, it was great to see Sam Ewing score twice at Galway, riding his first winners following a long spell on the sidelines through injury.

On the flat breeding front, we are going to start with a second-placed horse as the McCracken Farms-bred Facteur Cheval, who is trained in France by Jerome Reynier, finished runner-up to the Aidan O’Brien-trained 4/9 favourite Paddington in the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Consistent

Just beaten a length and a half, and finishing three lengths clear of the third in the five-runner race, the Ribchester four-year-old is one of the most consistent horses in training with five wins in 11 starts to his credit including a Group 3 race at Saint-Cloud in October.

This was his second time to be placed at Group 1 level while he has also been placed in Group 2 company.

On Thursday, the McCracken-bred three-year-old gelding Three Yorkshiremen (Massaat – House Of Roses, by New Approach) won the extended mile conditions race at Nottingham and later the Gerry Cumiskey-bred eight-year-old gelding Laughifwant (Roderic O’Connor – Red Fanfare, First Trump) landed a handicap at Galway over the same trip.

At Ballybrit on Tuesday, and again over the same trip, the concluding handicap was won by the six-year-old Make Believe gelding Complete Fiction who was bred by Brian and Ann Marie Kennedy out of the Dubai Destination mare Purple Tigress.