One lucky lady from County Down is heading off to Dubai to the races after winning the Best Dressed Lady event at the Downpatrick Races writes Joe Kavanagh.
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Hugh Dornan, second left won the Best Dressed Man category and Nicole Caldwell was the Best Dressed Ladies’ winner. Pictured are Megan Green, judge, and Kathleen Mateer, runner up with racecourse manager Richard Lyttle.[/caption]
Nicole Caldwell (21) from Banbridge claimed the Best Dressed Lady prize of a trip to the Dubai World Cup next year which includes flights, accommodation and corporate hospitality at the Meydan racecourse on World Cup night while staying in the six star Meydan Hotel beside the track. Nicole is a special needs care assistant and part-time life guard. She said: ” I was in Dubai once for a short break. I’m over the moon at winning this trip and want to thank Downpatrick racecourse. I will take my mum with me to Dubai – she helped me with today’s outfit.”
All afternoon ladies all dressed up to dazzle were moving too and fro around the race course adding a blaze of colourto the day almost spoiled by rain. This year there were many more dressed up than usual and there were more entries for the competition.
But on the racecourse, minds were set on other matters. County Meath trainer Gordon Elliott extended his tally of success at Downpatrick when Landau with Davy Condon aboard proved the easy winner to justify favouritism in the opening maiden hurdle.
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The winner waited in third as Captain Carleton assumed the lead half a mile from home and only after jumping the final flight cruised into the lead while the locally trained, Burnt Sienna – the early leader kept to again in the closing stages to claim third. Elliott said of the dual all-weather winner: “He probably deserved to do that on his last run and on his two flat runs and he’s a grand fun horse. We’ll keep him going but he wouldn’t want it too heavy – he’ll go on yielding to soft.”
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Lady jockeys in Downpatrick on Ladies Day: Included are Katie O’Farrell, Katie Walsh, Gillian Ryan and Niamh Fahey, Nina Carberry, Rachel Blackmore and Lisa O’Neill.[/caption]
The County Meath handler quickly doubled up on the day when Drunken Counsel owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary proved a facile winner of the second with claiming rider Luke Dempsey who is now based with the trainer leading four from home after a good jump and easily made the rest of the running to prevail. Gordon Elliott said: ” He will be going to the sales and would be better suited in England. He handles any ground and Luke [Dempsey] gave him a good confident ride.”
Favourite Hero de Villeneue trained by Robbie Hennessy claimed the Al Aasfa Hurdle with jockey Andrew Lynch aboard when making all the running denying Gordon Elliott a treble with his runner, Tico, filling second. Hennessy said: “On his mark he was near a certainty but while he has been winning chases in England, they weren’t top-class races, more cup races. Philip Carberry (jockey and rider of the family’s Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity) sent me him over from France but we had to persevere with him as he’s had three wind operations, has a bad back and has to have the massage machine every day. He’s a crock but we seem to have him right now thank God.”
The going altered to good/yielding after the third race which saw a very confident ride from Mark Flanagan on Effernock Lad – the claiming rider having quit riding for a period but now rides out for winning trainer, Gerry Keane. The latter said: ” We thought he would win a point to point but was backwards last year – He is a well bred horse and we will aim at a handicap next – Mark knows him well and gave him a good ride.”
The long distance maiden hurdle developing into a dual between the front running pair Buster Dan Dan and Better Back Bob. The first named trained and ridden by Mikey O’Connor kept on best in the closing despite the efforts of the locally trained runner to land maiden hurdle. The winning trainer/rider who travelled from Liscarroll, County Cork said: “He’s tough and honest and is a terrier. He knuckled up the hill and I was always comfortable.
“He’ll be off for a two or three week break and we’ll probably come back here or go to Tramore, as he corners well. I’ve a good strike rate and love it here -they do a great job and the ground is well watered and safe.”
Kilkenny trainer Eoin Doyle and rider Mickey Butler who registered success a fortnight ago at the venue were again in the winners enclosure after Fast Exit claimed the handicap hurdle beating favourite Lucky Pigeon.
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