REPRESENTATIVES of the Irish Red Cross attended last Friday evening’s meeting at Downpatrick where they were presented with a cheque to the value of £50,000 for the charity’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal. The money had been raised through donations and an auction at the track’s Randox Ulster National meeting in March.

The second race on last Friday’s card, the two-mile-six-furlong handicap hurdle, also ran under the Randox banner and this was won by the Taphouse Syndicate’s Building Bridges. The six-year-old New Approach gelding is trained in Maghera by Gary McGill whose son Orán was recording his second track success when making all on the 28/1 shot.

Downpatrick races again next Friday when the card will commence with a maiden hurdle, followed by two handicap hurdles, a beginners’ chase, a handicap chase, a hunters’ chase and, finally, a mares’ bumper.

The first of the handicap hurdles is a leg in the Adare Manor Opportunity Series and, last year, this near two-and-three-quarter-mile race was divided. The first division was won by the Ringhill Syndicate’s Ringhill Lady, trained by James Lambe and ridden by Conor Orr, while Tom Gibney saddled Brian Groarke’s home-bred Magic Piper to score under Jack Foley.

The two-mile, three-furlong beginner’s chase was won by the Brian Hamilton-trained, Simon Torrens-ridden Dynamic Allen while David Christie and Barry O’Neill combined to win the near three-mile hunters’ chase with On The Sod.