Double delight for Codd and O’Neil at Kirkistown

13 February 2019

THE North Down Hunt held their first point-to-point meeting of the spring season at Kirkistown, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Dusty Mullan, in good conditions on Saturday when a large crowd enjoyed a superb day’s racing.

There were doubles for Wexford jockeys Jamie Codd and Barry O’Neil and also a brace for Wexford trainer Colin Bowe, while the only local success came in the second race of the day.

This race, sponsored by Greenville Electrical, proved to be a dramatic affair.

At the first fence past the post the Brian Hamilton runner Farther Along and Ballynoe jockey Conor Smith came down and then later in the race at the same fence, both Fyfin Patsy, ridden by Timmy Love and Lady Maureen, a last fence faller at Tyrella, also crashed out.

Unfortunately, Fergal Stack, Lady Maureen’s jockey, suffered every riders’ dread when his foot failed to come out of the iron and he was trailed down the track.

Luckily, his foot came out, but alert racegoers had realised what was happening and were ready to catch the mare.

Fergal got to his feet after a while and limped off the track, but the drama didn’t end there.

Both loose horses were in front as the two remaining runners approached the last fence, but thankfully got out of the way in time to leave Rubiana to win in good style from Cream Sparkles.

The winner, bred at Saintfield by D A Wishart, runs in the colours of Ann Wishart and was ridden by Downpatrick jockey Declan Lavery, who was saddling his second winner of the season.

It was a welcome change of luck for the young jockey, who is now based in Downpatrick with Paddy Turley.

The opening Dennison Commercials four year-old maiden race, the first local four year-old race of the season, saw an easy winner in Hells Canyon trained in Wexford by Colin Bowe.

Second here was Warren Ewing’s Favori De Champdou, ridden by Ritchie Deegan with Lavery third on Mary Kelly’s The Great Georgie, trained by Paddy Turley.

O’Neil and Bowe then went on to win the fifth race of the day, the Old Manor Mill two winner mares race, with the Leo McArdle-owned Fort Worth Texas, beating recent winner Gold Time, ridden by Kevin Corrigan.

Third under Neil Gault, who still hopes this regular runner will pick up a small race before the end of the season, was long time leader, the grey Nevada Rose.

Nobody rides the North Down track better than Jamie Codd and his first winner of the day came in the Albert Bartlett maiden race when he rode Gold Des Bois in the colours of English owner Nigel Baring to victory for County Tyrone gainer Pater Fahey, just getting the better of the Ben Crawford-ridden Lowtown Charlie and Elmdale, ridden by Roger Quinlan.

Codd then joined forces with his regular ally County Meath trainer Gordon Elliott in the James Murdoch Contracts open race.

Here, his mount Kruzhlinn, a recent winner at Tyrella, running in the colours of Elliott’s travelling head girl, Camilla Sharples, had to work hard in the closing stages to better recent winner Winged Leader, ridden by Barry O’Neil.

Winged Leader is now owned by John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane and back in third was Gwencily Berbas, ridden by Irish born Annie O’Connor, who is based with Harry Fry in England and who rides with an English licence.

This was the winner’s sixth success of the season and he is now leading the race for the top open horse of the season.

County Wicklow trainer Gerard Lawless had his first local success when he saddled Lough Derg Lyric to win the final race of the day, the John Beers Recovery and Commercial Repairs race for six year-olds and upwards maidens.

Ridden by Brian Lawless, who was recording his fifth winner between the flags, the combination had five lengths to spare at the judge. Goldazar was second, ridden by Rob James, with the Brian Hamilton-trained the Bolder Boy, a late spare ride for Luke Murphy, in third.

Next local meeting is the Armagh Point-to-Point on February 23.

Following his change of luck on Saturday, Declan Lavery travelled to Punchestown the following day and recorded his first win under rules for some time when partnering Dinny Lacey at 7/1 to success in the bumper for Co Cork trainer Jim Motherlay.

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder