Finn delivers double at Downpatrick races

Finn delivers double at Downpatrick races

23 May 2018

TIPPERARY trainer Jimmy Finn came off the cold list when he recorded a long-priced double at Downpatrick on Friday night.

His first success came in the Ciaran Rusell Auto Sales handicap chase when he saddled Dorkas in the colours of Amanda Finn to just get the better of the Keith Watson-trained He Knows My name, this one owned by his wife, with Bold Sky in third. The winner, a 14/1shot, was ridden by Luke Dempsey.

Finn’s double came in the Molson Coors bumper race when he saddled another 14/1 shot, Turbo to a fine success.

Despite having finished 12th out of 13 on his previous outing at Punchestown, and backed in from 25/1 on the morning of the race, Turbo lived up to his name when making all the running under James Hannon to win in good style form Global Jackpot and Lisa O’Neill in second and Klassy Kay third.

Before the race, Hannon, who was riding at the track for the first time and who earlier won the hunters’ chase on a spare ride, told my reporter friend Michael Graham that he would win the race, but although I told a former owner friend of my own from Saintfield, I didn’t take the tip myself.

The hunters’ chase was sponsored by King & Boyd Solicitors and one of the partners in this firm is Downpatrick Racecourse chairman Peter Stewart.

The winner was pushed all the way over the last two fences by Mac’s Legend, ridden by Hannon when intended rider Johnnie Barry got held up in traffic.

BC’s Pride was second with Spud’s Double, in the colours of Armagh’s Brian Dougan, third — a first ride at the track for jockey Shane O’Rourke. The winner was also a first runner at the track for Gerry Kelleher, who made the long trip up from Cork. SP: 7/1, 40/1, 33/1. So Rustic was a non-runner in this race after injuring himself in transit from Armagh. 

Luke Dempsey had his first winner of the evening in the Apple Recruitment Services handicap hurdle when he joined forces with his trainer father, Phil.

He made every post a wining one on Two In One to beat Pat’s Pearl and Ashjan, SP: 33/1, 25/1, 25/1.

The Paddy Galbraith Memorial handicap hurdle, run in memory of a former owner and Downpatrick man who loved his horse racing and football, was won by King of Aran — another outsider in what was a good evening for the large number of bookmakers present, despite the fact that there was also a point-to-point meeting at Enniskillen and another meeting at Cork.

King of Aran, a course winner, is trained by Michael Grassick, who doesn’t have too many runners ridden by Danny Mullins, who rode this one instead of Balofilo, trained by his mother, Mags. Second here was the 11/10 favourite Crown of Thorns with Folly Dat, a 50/1shot owned by Dromore’s John Taylor, who also bred the horse, third, having led over the last flight.

The maximum 15 runners went to post in the opening Pat O’Hare Bookers maiden hurdle and punters came out on the right side with 4/5 favourite Caro Des Flos, trained in County Carlow by Willie Mullins and ridden by his nephew, David, winning in smooth style over 33/1 outsider Ravenhill, owned by the North Down-based Try Ravenilll Syndicate.

This one is trained by Gordon Elliott, who also saddled the third hose home, Count Simon, owned by Templepatrick’s Mrs Pat Sloan.

There was another County Carlow-trained winner at the meeting when Shark Hanlon’s Whatsinthecorner, ridden by top lady jockey Rachel Blackmore, won the Roadstud Installations beginners’ chase  from Ri An Rian and Gunfire Reef. SP: 7/1, 3/1 favourite, 6/1.

Best turned out in all the races was courtesy of Strangford Fuels. Next meeting at the track is the two-day meeting on Saturday, June 16, a first ever Saturday evening meeting at the course and Sunday, June 17. 

An all-National Hunt meeting takes place at Down Royal on Friday night, first race is as 5.30pm.

The postponed Route Hunt point-to-point meeting will be held in Portrush on Sunday.