Double delight for Flanagan

Double delight for Flanagan

19 July 2017

FAMILY Day at Downpatrick Racecourse last Thursday saw the enclosures and car parks filled to capacity and long tailbacks as punters and families alike made their way to the now popular holiday venue.

As it was family day it was good to see the Mullins family win the final race of the day to add to a victory earlier in the afternoon.

There was also a double for jockey Sean Flanagan which means he now heads the jockeys’ table for the year at the track with a total of five winners.

Sean’s first success of the day came in the opening race, the AJC Group Hurdle, which was also the feature race on the card of six hurdle races and a bumper, and was in fact the first of five races on the day to be won by the horse with the No 2 cloth.

Sean made every post a winning one on Mr Showtime, trained by his boss, Noel Meade, in Co Meath, to win in smooth fashion over Davy Russell on Westland Row, with Verona Opera back in third.

Sean’s second success came in the Joe Rea Memorial Maiden Hurdle when he rode the recent point-to-point winner Reuben James, trained in Co Wexford by Colin Bowe, to win from local hope Caerleon Kate, Paul Townend’s only mount of the day. Scotch Beg, the winner of the recent ladies’ race at the track, finished third.

Joe Rea did so much for the local course in its darkest days, and his daughter, Adele a director of the course, sponsored the best turned out prizes in all seven races during the day — a nice bonus for the grooms in charge.

The father-and-son Team Mullins had their first success of the day in the Tullyraine Veterinary Clinic Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Over the last flight the race involved Delayed Eloquence, ridden by Davy Russell, with Blixt in close contention. It looked like the former would hold on, but Patrick Mullins, who as usual had run around the track prior to the race, put in one of his power-packed finishes and got his mount up to win by a length. Back in third came Field Robin.

The Mullins brace came in the only race of the day not over hurdles, the N&Ms bumper, and it was a real family success on this family day meeting as in a driving finish Patrick on Exchange Rate in the silks of his mother, Jackie, herself a former good amateur, and trained by his father, champion trainer Willie in Co Carlow, got the better of Jamie Codd riding Anytime Now for Gordon Elliott, who for once didn’t saddle a winner at the local venue.

Long time leader Mr Dealer was third for Newry owner Kieran Strain, this one trained by Gerry Cosgrove and ridden by Mark O’Hare. Only five ran.

Heavy rain delayed the start of the Saint Patrick’s Country Handicap Hurdle, which saw Personal Shopper, formerly owned and trained by Harry Smyth, but gifted at the end of last year to Aileen O’Sullivan, set the pace on her new mount until just before the final flight.

At this stage Better Back Bob, ridden as usual by Robbie Colgan, took over and went on to win from Tranquil Magic and the long time leader.

This proved to be the only local winner of the day. Better Back Bob, 11th of 12 runners at a recent meeting at the track and a 14/1 outsider here, is owned by Banbridge man Philip Boyd and is trained by his cousin, Neil McKnight, at Loughbrickland, for whom this was a welcome change of luck.

The horse is not a good traveller but won a chase at Downpatrick when a 40/1 shot and a hurdle race at Down Royal when ridden by Graham Watters. It also won a point-to-point for Philip and is now most likely to run at the next Down Royal meeting or at Downpatrick in August.

This was the second 14/1 winner of the day as A Year to Remember proved to be a fortunate winner of the Best Family Fun Day Maiden Hurdle after Bryan Cooper jumped the last clear on Leomar only to topple over, leaving Coleraine-born in-form jockey Jody McGarvey to go on to win on the JP McManus-owned horse, beating the odds-on shot, Super Bowl, which was Ruby Walsh’s only ride of the day. Shamash finished third.

The winner is trained in Co Kilkenny by former jockey Joseph O’Brien, who has been a good supporter of the track since he took up training.

The North Down Marquees Handicap Hurdle saw the Dessie McDonagh owned and trained Shek O Lad, ridden by Ger Fox, win in good style over long time leader Pat’s Pearl, ridden by Ricky Doyle, with Wiiphania third.

Shek O Lad has never been out of the first two in three outings at Downpatrick and both his career victories have come at the track.

The acting stewards at the meeting were Dr Fitz Gillespie, Leslie Crawford, JGL McCoy and BJ Fitzsimons.

Prior to the third race of the day, a minute’s silence was observed, as a tribute to former jockey Martin Moloney and former jockey and trainer Tommy Carberry who had passed away.

Tommy was the father of top jockeys Paul, Philip, Peter and Nina, and as well as riding and training Grand National winners, he also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It can also be recalled that he won the Ulster Harp National twice on Common Entrance and Flying Wild.

All jockeys wore black armbands during the afternoon, the first time that I can recall this ever being the case at Downpatrick Racecourse.

Sadly, Downpatrick lost another good supporter with the passing of Cecil Maxwell. The last time I had the pleasure of speaking to him he was anxious to know the time of the first race at a recent evening meeting.

On a brighter note congratulations go to former jockey Gerald Tumelty of Downpatrick, who recently tied the knot with his long time girlfriend, Sarah Welford.

The next meeting at Downpatrick is the Keep It Country Rrceday and concert on Sunday, August 13. First race 2.15pm and last race approximately 5.15pm. A special attraction will be a display of the Dromara Destroyers’ motorbikes. Prior to that, there’s a meeting at Down Royal on July 28.