A LARGE crowd turned up to last Sunday’s County Clare Hunt point-to-point fixture in Bellharbour, where jump fans enjoyed a tremendous day’s fun, writes Michael Duggan.

All that is good in racing between the flags was on show with Wexford’s Rob James taking the day’s honours with two winners.

James started his afternoon at the scenic north Clare venue in the best possible fashion when steering Out Of Office (which he also trains) to victory in the opening four-year-old maiden.

A son of Shirocco, this well-bred newcomer came out the right side of a good battle with eventual runner-up Readin Tommy Wrong with the 3/1 chance finding most in the closing stages to score by two length.

The victorious trainer/rider reported: “I fancied him coming here as we always thought a lot of him. He was showing us all the right signs at home and I’m glad he produced the goods on the day.

“He jumped very well throughout and it was a good tussle with the second horse, who is very highly regarded too. We’ll take home now and see what we’ll do next. I’d say he’ll go to one of the upcoming sales. I think he’ll have a very bright future.”

Half-an-hour later, James was back in the number-one spot when teaming up with fellow Wexford handler, Donnchadh Doyle, to land the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard the very impressive 6/4 favourite Fact To File.

Racing in the Monbeg Syndicate colours, Fact Or File really caught the eye here when sprinting away on the downhill run to the final fence to beat the Tony Costello-trained Asian Master by half-a-dozen lengths.

“He’s a very, very, good horse,” said Doyle. “I was fairly confident he’d turn in a performance like that to be honest. We’ve given him a bit a time to come to himself and he’s grown a lot over the past few months.

“We have about 40 horses riding out at the moment and it’s great when you come across a nice one like this. I expect he’ll go to the Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham later this month.”
Sunday proved a red-letter day for Hertfordshire jockey, Alexandra Ingram, who posted her first success on Irish soil when guiding Gordon Elliott’s 4/1 shot Everything Now to victory in the winners’ race.

Ms Ingram – who rode two point-to-point winners in the UK before joining Elliott’s Cullentra House operation in County Meath eight months ago – gave the winner a strong drive, with the pair passing the post two lengths ahead of second-placed Top Of The List.

“I’m over the moon to ride my first winner in Ireland. I worked for Everything Now’s previous trainer Tom Symonds in England and I bought this horse off him,” remarked the victorious owner/rider.

“I moved over to work in Gordon’s and I’m really enjoying it there. It’s a brilliant place to get experience. I was meant to go back home, but I don’t want to leave! I expect this horse will run again over the next few weeks.”

Armagh trainer, Keith Watson, has next month’s Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in mind for his 5/2 shot Amulino, who carried the colours of his wife, Claire, to an impressive victory in the open lightweight.

Harry Swan was on board the nine-year-old who travelled well throughout en-route to a 13-length success over the Eoin Mahon-ridden runner-up Se Mo Laoch.
Marshall Watson, son of the winning trainer, disclosed: “Our main objective with this horse is to get him qualified for the Foxhunter’s. He did it well today, Harry gave him a great ride.

“He’ll run again in two weeks time and, hopefully, he’ll book his Cheltenham ticket then. It’s an eight-hour round-trip for us down here, but when you win it makes it all worthwhile.”

The all-Tipperary combination of Cashel trainer Sam Curling and jockey Pa King from Holycross took the spoils in the concluding older horses’ maiden where six-year-old Stormy Story (5/1) made a winning debut.

Purchased in France as a yearling by his owner Gerard Kennedy, King’s mount stuck to his guns in the closing stages to deny John Neilan’s Winter Carnival by two lengths and the trainer had this to say…

“He’s a nice horse. We’ve taken our time with him. He’s had a few little niggles along the way, nothing serious though, and it’s great to get him off the mark. If he’s not sold in the meantime, we’ll go for a bumper with him,”

Twelve faced the starter in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. Victory here went to the County Wicklow father and son jockey/trainer combination of Brian and Gerard Lawless whose 7/1 shot Thegingrin made a winning debut.

Quickening smartly on the downhill approach to the final fence, this daughter of Milan had the race in the bag rising to the final fence. Lawless junior only had to keep his mount up to her work on the run-in to score by eight lengths from runner-up Larkfield Legacy.

Delgany-based winner trainer Gerald Lawless said: “This is a very smart mare. We were expecting her to run a huge race and she did. She’s very well bred and it was a fair effort to turn in a performance like that first time out.”