DONEGAL native Dylan Browne McMonagle leads off our list of successful jockeys this week as he partnered three winners, two at Bellewstown last Thursday and Friday week and one on Wednesday at Fairyhouse where he landed the fillies’ maiden on Desert Haven who is trained for Patricia Hunt by Noel Meade.

Also on the flat, both Oisin Orr and Patsy Cosgrave rode winners at Haydock last Saturday with the latter hitting the scoreboard again at Epsom on Thursday; Luke McAteer landed the last race at Naas on Saturday while the last at Leopardstown on Thursday, a rare qualified riders’ race on the level, was won by Deckie Lavery on board the Noel Meade-trained favourite, Jesse Evans.

Over jumps, Brian Hughes partnered two winners while there were single victories for Danny McMenamin, Jody McGarvey and Liam McKenna.

Also over jumps, there was a win at Worcester on Monday for the Alfred Buller-bred Jack The Farmer who had been placed on all five of his previous starts since moving to Nigel Hawke. The seven-year-old Kalanisi gelding is out of the unraced Deploys Dream (by Deploy) who comes from the family of Micko’s Dream and Gambolling Doc.

There were wins on the flat for the Brian and Ann Marie Kennedy-bred three-year-old gelding Leap Year Lad (Havana Grey – Skeleton, by Tobougg) at Haydock on Friday last; for the McCracken Farms-bred three-year-old filly Kodi Dancer (Kodiac – Nijah, by Pivotal) at Brighton on Tuesday when the Thomas McHugh-bred eight-year-old gelding Magnetic North (Born To Sea – No Trimmings, by Medecis) won at Tramore. The Kennedys bred a second winner in the week when the five-year-old gelding This Ones For Fred (Markaz – Green Chorus, by Oratoio) recorded his third success at Lingfield on Wednesday.

McGuinness’s first win bails out the bookies at family fun day

WE had to wait until Thursday to wrap up this week’s column as probably the best family fun raceday anywhere was held that afternoon at Downpatrick.

The bookmakers didn’t have much fun until it came to the concluding Cosy Roof INH Flat Race as this was won by the 150/1 shot Feast who, by a nose, gave Brackaville’s Anna McGuinness her first success in the saddle.

The winner, a six-year-old Walk In the Park gelding, is owned jointly by Richard Behan, in whose colours he runs, and trainer James Lambe who gave £6,000 for the bay at Goffs UK’s May Sale at Doncaster last year. His dam Lolli (by High Chaparral) won two races on the flat and is a half-sister to the multiple black-type winner Kempes (by Intikhab).

Lambe has been a great supporter of CAFRE graduate McGuinness since she started riding on the track and in point-to-points. She rides out for James and other local trainers.

Having mentioned him in despatches last week as the host of this year’s Saintfield Horse Show, up pops Gerry McPolin as owner/breeder of Thornleigh Frank who, trained by Mark Fahey and ridden by Aidan Kelly, won the Tote Always SP Or Better at Downpatrick Handicap Hurdle on his fourth start over jumps.

Previously in the care of Brian Hamilton for whom he ran in three bumpers including two over this undulating track, the six-year-old Yeats gelding is the third of six foals out of the unraced Presenting mare Thornleigh Blossom who has also bred the dual winner Equus Dreamer. This is the family of Killultagh Storm, Killultagh Vic and Lily Waugh.

Stuart Crawford sent out Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s I Love My Baie to win the opening maiden hurdle at Perth last Thursday week; the Leanne Breen-owned and trained Livingston Range landed the apprentice handicap at Naas on Saturday; the first of two winners for Mark McNiff, Red Ball Of Fire, obliged on Sunday at Sligo where the David Christie-trained Menindee won the long distance handicap hurdle in the colours of her Moneymore breeder, David Kells.

Fantastic turnout for one-day event at the Cullens’ new venue

THE Northern Region of Eventing Ireland staged a one-day event last Saturday at a new venue, The Clare near Gilford, home of Declan and Becky Cullen and their daughter Kitty and base for the couple’s company Cullen Equine Solutions.

Among those present from the thoroughbred world was Warren Ewing’s right-hand woman Sarah Sproule who is now two for two for the season at EI90 level with her Irish Sport Horse mare Ballyneety Cavalier Imp. Today, the combination steps up to EI100 level at Tullymurry which, depending on the way travelled, is just up or down the road from Downpatrick.

Also spotted, but on his feet, was former qualified rider turned equine dentist Jason McKeown. He sold the Irish Draught gelding Rockvale Moon River he had such fun on last year and has yet to find a replacement. Among those I also saw was breeder and veterinary surgeon Callie Berry plus the day’s assigned veterinary surgeon Inge D’Haese who Declan had double-jobbing as the event’s social photographer. Who I didn’t see, but am told was there, was Ross Crawford.

Among the huge army of volunteers needed to run the one-day event was Declan’s brother Shane who had helped in the preparation of the venue but, on the day, attended in his role as farrier. The last fence was sponsored by bookmakers Pat O’Hare through Damian O’Hare whose wife Marina was listed on the programme as being a member of the painting team, helped erect the dressage arenas and, on the day, was call-up steward for the dressage phase.

The winners of all the classes were entered into a draw for various sponsored prizes, one being a day’s racing for two at Down Royal. This was won by Jennifer Gilchrist who topped the final leaderboard in the EI90 (P) on board her father Daniel’s Lackaghmore Vandango. Jennifer also finished fifth against her seniors in the unrestricted Pegus Horse Health Cubs EI90 on the former racehorse Another Struggle who finished well down the field in two runs over hurdles when trained by Harry Smith.

The seven-year-old by Morozov was bred by Kieran Magee out of the Winged Love mare Scent With Love, dam previously of the multiple winners Another Frontier (by Darsi) and Another Struggle’s 2015 full-brother, Willyouwalkwithme.

Those placed second to sixth in all classes were entered into a draw for a bucket of Equi Balance feed balancer and here the winners included Rachael Broome, who finished sixth in the Synch E Bikes EI100 on the former racehorse Natures Blossom, a 10-year-old Fruits Of Love mare, and Aoibheann Morgan who was sixth in the BM Horse EI110 (Amateur) on the Joseph Cunningham-bred Hey Aussie, a 15-year-old Reefscape gelding. Another Equi Balance winner was qualified rider Toni Quail who finished second in the Cullen Equine Solutions EI110 Open on her own ISH mare Wellan Summertime.

Other sponsors at The Clare included Pegus Horse Feed, Thompsons Feeds, Tullyraine Equine Clinic and Greenvale Transport. On Monday, this horse transport firm, which is based between Newry and Dundalk, sponsored the Area 17 Pony Club eventing at Hazeldene Farm where among the winners was the in-form Holly Ross, daughter of Newtownabbey bloodstock agents Anna and Kevin Ross