SOMETIMES, I don’t get around to highlighting breeders so I will start the recent racing success stories with them this week.

At Worcester on Wednesday, the Evan Williams-trained Henry Box Brown got off the mark over fences, adding this victory to one over hurdles and one in a bumper. The seven-year-old Getaway gelding was bred by Elizabeth Hamilton out of her twice-placed Bob Back mare Lough Coyne who bred one other winner, Island Mahee (by Doyen).

On Tuesday just past at Stratford, the Anthony Honeyball-trained Glynn won for the second time over fences within five days under Sam Twiston-Davies, having landed his first chase at Newton Abbot the previous Thursday.

This 10-year-old Winged Love gelding, whose only previous success in an interrupted career had been in a Doncaster maiden hurdle in 2020 when he was in the care of Nicky Henderson, was bred by Linda Gault out of the Riverhead mare Barnish River who was dam of two other track winners.

Home turf

On the flat here in Ireland, the Kennedys of Meadowview Farm were credited with two winners recently, the Ciaran Murphy-trained Walhaan scoring at Leopardstown last Thursday week with the Jarlath Fahey-trained Complete Fiction obliging at Naas on Sunday.

Walhaan, an eight-year-old Dark Angel gelding who was winning for the sixth time in his career, is the second of seven recorded foals and the only winner to date out of the twice-placed Dutch Art mare Back In The Frame. Sunday’s win was a fourth for the seven-year-old Make Believe gelding Complete Fiction who’s the third of seven recorded foals out of the unraced Dubai Destination mare Purple Tigress who is the dam of two other winners.

On the training front, we’ll have to start with the win recorded closest to home and that was by the Harry Smyth-owned and trained Portnacoo who got off the mark in the two-mile, six-furlong My Pension Expert Handicap Hurdle at Downpatrick on Monday.

Bringing up a double by 17 lengths for jockey Paddy Hanlon, the six-year-old Morozov gelding was also bred in Co Down by Liam Cosgrave out of the unraced Lady Shanrod. That 2010 Generous mare is the dam of one other runner, the winning Conduit gelding Bohemian Summer.

There were wins also for the Mark McNiff-trained Joe’s Turn, who justified favouritism over fences at Kilbeggan last Friday, and, on the flat, for the Natalia Lupini-trained Rebel Diamond and Paul Traynor’s charge Fiver Friday who both obliged at Naas on Sunday in the colours of their respective owners Nigel O’Hare and Philip Gilmore.

Hat trick

Another owner to have had her colours carried to victory on the level in the period under review was Patricia Hunt whose Noel Meade-trained Monasterboice brought up a hat-trick in the mile rated race at Killarney last Friday.

Staying on the flat in Ireland, Dylan Browne McMonagle rode a winner at Leopardstown last Thursday week and another at Bellewstown on Tuesday. Across the water there were wins for Darragh Keenan at Yarmouth on Sunday and at Southwell on Monday, while Oisin Orr also struck twice, both of his wins coming at Musselburgh but on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Over jumps, Danny McMenamin partnered the James Moffatt-trained Judical Review to win on Saturday at Cartmel where, on Monday, he also returned to the winner’s enclosure following victory on Moffatt’s Cuzco Du Mathan. Also on Monday’s card, Brian Hughes landed a division of the handicap hurdle on the Ger O’Leary-trained Doyen For A Drink.

THREE men, who have all been involved in racing and other equestrian sports for many, many years, were honoured at the Saintfield Horse Show which was held at Andrew and Laura Napier’s Hazeldene Farm last Saturday.

Present to judge the Celebrity Challenge, veterinary surgeon and former amateur Robert Steele was surprised and delighted with his Lifetime Achievement Award and to be interviewed by the brilliant and very colourful Pamela Ballantine.

Also on hand to accept his award was that man of many hats Richard Lyttle, a long-standing supporter of the show, but Wilson Dennison was an absentee. His award, which mirrored the others, for ‘his outstanding contribution to the entire equestrian world’, was accepted on his behalf by Ian Wilson who, along with Ken Dixon, had gone to great lengths to dress up for the Celebrity Challenge.

Racehorse to riding

Hopefully, we will have more news to share on that show jumping competition next week and also on the racehorse to riding horse class which was sponsored by Downpatrick Racecourse and was won by Raholp-born Seainin Mahon on her 2018 BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner, General Principle.

Hazeldene Farm will be a hive of activity again today as the Napiers are kindly hosting their third Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day of the season following the cancellation of the re-scheduled Glenpatrick. There are nine thoroughbred horses entered.

MANY congratulations to Banbridge’s Holly O’Rourke who won The ‘My Pension Expert’ most appropriately dressed lady competition at Downpatrick on Monday.

Holly’s mother Angela, who is an avid Ladies Day racegoer, has won many style competitions over the years and, happy to take her daughter on, made the final five with the judges on Monday.

The My Pension Expert team were entitled to 50 general admission tickets as part of their sponsorship package. However, being based in England, they didn’t need the tickets and so kindly offered these to a good cause. The hardworking staff at the local hospital in Downpatrick were selected as the beneficiaries and the racecourse then matched the sponsor’s offering, bringing the hospital’s ticket allocation up to 100.

The next meeting at Downpatrick, the penultimate of the season, is scheduled for Friday, September 20th.