Stewards are busy

Stewards are busy

25 May 2016

THE stewards had a busy evening at Downpatrick last Friday as Tellthemnuttin was disqualified after winning the Downpatrick’s Looking Good Handicap Hurdle, with her jockey Dylan Robinson banned for 10 days and ordered to forfeit his riding fee.

The favourite was bidding to follow up on her success here a couple of weeks ago and raced in third over the final flight. With a furlong to go, she was ridden to challenge, but caused interference.

Once in the clear, she kept on to win, but she was disqualified after a stewards’ enquiry. Runner-up Quelle Belle Vie was promoted to first for Paul Fahey and Paddy Kennedy.

Michael O’Leary’s Rise Of An Empire has hit form and landed the Welcome To America Novice Hurdle by 16 lengths with Bryan Cooper. The odds-on favourite had scored in a maiden hurdle here earlier in the month.

Trainer Noel Meade said: “It was really made for him but he probably did improve a little bit with the run the last day. He just loves that good ground. He’s a big, big horse so maybe he’s just only filling out. Bryan said not to delay too long over hurdles with him before going over fences. We’ll see, but I imagine he’ll run in another novice hurdle.”

Local trainer Brian Hamilton saddled Twilight Shadow to win the Silversea and Etihad Airways Maiden Hurdle. The mare finished runner-up in the previous meeting at this venue and kept on strongly on the run-in to land the spoils.

Hamilton said afterwards: “He (David Mullins) has done everything lovely for me. He said she was a wee bit keen with him. Better ground will suit her and she’ll hopefully come back here in three weeks’ time.” 

Referring to the winning Stone Circle Syndicate, Hamilton added: “The Ballynoe Stone Circle is just up the road. A group of local fellas bought her off Jeremy Maxwell for a bit of fun. Declan Lavery and his brother are involved in it.”

Colin McBratney was another County Down handler on the mark as Drumhart beat Personal Shopper in the Congratulating Kate and Michael Handicap Chase. This foiled a gamble on the runner-up.

Drumhart’s part owner James Murdoch said: “He conjured it up. He was unlucky here last year. He just needs to be held up and to come with a run. Job done. It’s great for Colin as well. The other owner is Stephen Pearson and we are both from Comber.”

Limerick-based Charles Byrnes has an excellent record at Downpatrick and his Lash It On did the business in the Friday Feeling Handicap Chase. Phillip Enright kept him up to his work to fend off a challenge from the favourite Redclue by half a length. 

“He’s a great old servant, he’s back in his own grade and he has won here before. He’ll mix it for the rest of the summer — fences and hurdles,” Byrnes commented.

“I’ve a good old record here. It’s a long drive, you wouldn’t come here unless you had a chance. I love the track, I think the ground is in terrific shape.”

Mark Quigley sent out his first racecourse winner for six years when Kilna Shane took the East Down Point To Point Committee Hunters Chase for Co Laois owner Joseph Delaney. Quigley said: “He will probably go to Listowel and I had a bit of confidence in him here.”

The Storyteller posted a facile success in the bumper by 12 lengths under Luke McGuinness in the colours of Joe and Pat Sloan colours.