The course has plenty of good parking. The facilities are a bit basic but there is a great tea room known as The Bistro and there are plenty of bars. The course is an undulating right handed configuration with a very stiff incline to the winning post for about a furlong and leaving the stands and equally quick decent. The going on the day was perfect jumping ground despite the wet winter. The finishing straight is short coming from the last after a tight right hand turn and narrows a lot making coming with a run a bit difficult (not unlike Kelso) and there is an asphalt road between the racegoers and the emergency traffic
The asphalt road between racegoers and finishing straight is unusual
Because of the hill and the fact that the paddock is positioned parallel to the run in it makes it incredibly steep. In fact staying the trip around the paddock is more stamina sapping than racing around Taunton! All in all a grand course with a great atmosphere. I was lucky with the weather though today as I would image this is a grim place in poor weather as there is little cover and the wind coming off the hills has little to stop it hitting you square in the face.
Get in the parade ring late at Downpatrick as the uphill nature must knacker a horse out!
The Racing
Opening proceedings was a maiden hurdle over 18f and was sponsored by J P McManus and worth E10,000. It was quite a modest affair given sizable prize money where the clear favourite was Henro Boy on the basis of being close up in a fair Naas event and winning a bumper here in the autumn. In the event of the race he was bought down at the first by the falling Schenkel which told us nothing. The second favourite Couleur de la Loi was very disappointing being never in the mix and soon dropping out. This left the way clear for a good three way battle with Garamor Boy prevailing. He had precious little form to recommend him but he had run with a bit of potential here on several occasions. He sees out this 18f well including the steep hill. Will find carrying a penalty hard work. The Noel Meade trained length and half runner up kid Curry stayed on fine but could never reel in the winner and probably might be seen to better effect over slightly further and suits good ground. The filly Dizzy Rascal was third plugging on to be only 2 lengths off the winner. Looks to need 20f and on present mark of 83 would appear to be very handy. Could also oblige in mares’ maidens.
There you go I thought we could do it - connections stunned by Garamor Booy's win in the opener
The mares’ novice over 18f was won in enterprising style by Brave Beauty and Paul Carberry getting first run on the Davy Russell ridden odds on favourite Belle Brook and then proceeding to outpace that mare on the climb home for a comfortable 5 length win. Was bogged down in the Punchestown mud last run but had been very promising in her bumpers and with this under her belt can be expected to progress nicely. Definitely a decent mare. The runner up Belle Brook has some very handy form running well in listed novice hurdles so it was no shock to see her go off at such prohibitive odds today of 30/100. Although tapped for toe a bit entering the straight she did stay up the hill ok. It is most likely that she was beaten by what may prove to be a very useful mare for the future. Streamtown showed some improvement to get a close up third and she appeared to prefer this shorter trip than the three mile plus she has been campaigned over to date.
One for the future; Brave Beauty being unsaddled after an impressive win
Final hurdle on the card was a low key 20f affair won by the 40/1 outsider Eddie Zero. Held up off the pace and making smooth progress to lead on the run in. He had shown no form whatsoever in hurdle and points to date and probably he will not be seen on the premises again! The race was altered significantly by the unseating of the hot favourite Arctic Mick three out when looking to take a hand. He had won last time out at Navan but is set to climb the weights to 97 which is 17lbs above his last winning mark. Lookoutnow (ran well to be headed on the run in no form previously) the consistent Akadyr (a decent third but is on a difficult mark) and Clara More (believe or not same name as my wife’s grandmother, challenged at the last running well for a 50/1 shot) finished in a heap for minor honoours. There is little to be seen out of this race I would say.
The big race on the card was the Ulster Grand National which became a battle between the well fancied Omagh based Hughies Grey and the useful mare from Ballymena Posh Bird. The former prevailing by 4 lengths and the pair pretty well clear. They both jumped very nicely and Hughies Grey took them along from early on in the race. This was impressive for a novice and bodes well for the future. It will be interesting to see where he goes next with Fairyhouse a distinct option. Currently on 116 so with luck might just get 4 or 5 lbs for this. If so can follow up. One to watch in long distance chases. Posh Bird is another novice who jumped nicely throughout and is not disgraced by proximity to a horse on a good mark. She has been a frequent traveller to picking up the boat at Larne and could well pop up at such as Ayr or Sedgefield as is on a tidy mark. I thought she ran with much promise and will pick up a handicap before long over a long trip (Durham National?).Selection Box ( hopelessly handicapped after a flash effort two years ago at Down Royal behind One Cool Cookie ) and Posh Bird's stable companion to Bally Wall( very consistant but not as yet over tried by handicapper; has previously won a fair novice at Ayr so could be on the Scottish Grand national list ) completed a clean sweep of the first four home for Northern trainers. Of the others the only note to be made is that the well backed favourite J P Mcmanus owned Flemsford was soon tailed off and do not think he fully sees out three miles plus.
Delight all around as the Tyrone raider picks up the Ulster grand National
The last jumps race of the day was a 22f hunter chase where they went down like ninepins as six of the 15 all fell. The race culminated in a fine threeway battle up the home straight with the Westmeath trained Kanesh outstaying the Cork trained Island Peak. Kanesh had been doing well between the flags recently including impressive effort at the local Tyrella meeting. Island Peak has just failed to win outside of maidens in points and although a good effort today you would feel a maiden hunter would be his best chance. The third Island Multifix was only 2 lengths off the winner and stayed on well. Was held on recent form behind Island Peak in a race won by the grand hunter Whyso Mayo (despite being 14 Whyso Mayo is still running well, he has won and finished second in Cheltenham Foxhunters in the past). The rest were all out with the washing.
As ever the card wound up with a bumper. In contrast to recent ones I have seen this was run at a good clip for the 18f. The early leading pair were fancied in the market. Of these 7/2 shot Premier Rule pulled up having apparently gone lame at halfway. This left 7/4 favourite Noble Steel in the lead and he was headed around 2f out staying on at one pace but may be better over 2 miles. He has a bit of points form. This left a good battle between the always prominent Nutin Fancy the 9/4 second favourite ( very inexperienced but won only point coming from a smart 2m5 chase family so keep an eye out when he takes a fence in time) and the held up mare Bailey’s Ruffit ( modest on hurdle debut) with the former storming clear for a promising and eyecatching 5length success.
How did they do next three runs to a £10 stake
Dizzy Rascal down £30
022
Binned after going up 10lbs without a win. Seconds have all been at decent 9/1 eaxh way but not off a winning mark just now
Brave Beauty level
0 2 2 2 1 2/5 1 5/2 1 evens
Has done well since this effort with a string of good seconds after being highly tried in a grade 1. Came over to Perth for a summer's racing and quickly put together a hatrick was then jacked up to 140 so I declined to follow and withdrew.
Hughies Grey up £70
1(7/1)
Won next time out but then upped to 145 so I declined to back again.
Posh Bird down £30
B30
I gave her the three runs and there was little sign that she was likely to win so she was binned
Island Peak
NR
Yet to race in a maiden hunter since so I have left him off.
Nutin Fancy
NR
Now over whith Philip Hobbs so keep an eye out as has plenty of ability