THE not-for-profit organisation Treo Eile, which provides assistance to racehorse trainers and owners who wish to rehome and retrain racehorses once their track careers are over, sponsored two prizes in relation to the Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing series and championships which reached their conclusion last weekend at Tattersalls Ireland.

The Treo Eile league ran on a points systems all season and, in the packed, atmospheric sales arena last Sunday afternoon, the organisation’s Executive Officer, Anne O’Connor, presented the prize of a €150 training bursary to Grace Day who topped the leaderboard with Ask Jim on 34 points. Like four others riders among the first six in the league, Grace is a member of the Killinick Branch.

Ask Jim, a 13-year-old gelding by Germany out of Native Pine (by Be My Native), ran without distinction in three point-to-points maidens and one maiden hurdle between the end of October 2016 and mid-July 2017 when trained in Co Wexford by Richie Rath.

Fellow Killinick member Jessie Bates, who finished second in the league with Guns For Hire (32 points), was presented with a €100 training bursary by O’Connor as her nine-year-old Scorpion gelding was the highest-place thoroughbred at the championships. Eighteen thoroughbreds competed at Tattersalls with the Bates-partnered Guns For Hire finishing third in a section of the Intermediate on his dressage score. They also helped their Killinick quartet fill the runner-up spot in the Intermediate team championship.

Guns For Hire, who is out of the Bob Back mare Royal Robin, ran in a bumper and three point-to-points here in 2020 when trained in Co Wexford by Brian Jordan for the Inish Stables Partnership. He was then transferred to Wales where he was trained for William Bates by Evan Williams, running seven times over hurdles and once over fences without winning. He last appeared on a racecourse in late August 2021.

Results

Treo Eile league – 1 (€150 training bursary), Ask Jim (Grace Day) Killinick 34 points; 2 (€100 training bursary), Guns For Hire (Jessie Bates) Killinick 32; 3 (€50 training bursary), Cobourg (Lily-Mai Berry) Killinick) 25; 4, Wex Gal (Amy Griffith) Killinick 24; 5, Ollie (Joe Ryan) Killinick 18; 6, Roi de Foi (Siofra Bulfin Brew) Newcastle Lyons 17.

Treo Eile highest-placed thoroughbred at championships – 1 (€100 training bursary), Guns For Hire (Jessie Bates) Killinick; 2, Ollie (Joe Ryan) Killinick; 3, Ask Jim (Grace Day) Killinick; 4, Big Job (Emma Quinlan) Meath; 5, Wex Gal (Amy Griffith) Killinick; 6, Pom Pom Shake (Jack Goold) Duhallow.