A sporting life at Bellewstown

Bellewstown Races is that type of unique event where you would never know who or what you would meet at the east Meath racing festival on the Hill of Crockafotha. Last week, during the three-day meeting, it wouldn"t have been unusual to bump into local son Shane Horgan complete with rugby"s Heineken Cup under his arm, a bunch of Kilmessan Camogie members on tour, or a gang of Fianna Fail politicians in a fundraising tent - not always confined to the west and Ballybrit! If you were observant enough, you might even have noticed the Kilmessan women going off with the Heineken Cup - where 'Shaggy" was at that stage is unclear, but it seems the camogie cailini were happy to get their picture taken with the silverware. Playing to all this gallery were trainers, jockeys and racehorses from across the country, and one who certainly gave value for money to the few who backed him was Ashbourne jockey Andrew Lynch, on Gallery Man, a 25/1 shot in the D Hotel Maiden Hurdle on Friday evening, trained by Athenry handler VT O"Brien. The three-day racing festival, the first of two summer outings at Bellewstown, opened on Thursday last, and saw Ruby Walsh ride his first winner in six weeks after returning from injury, Dual Gales for Willie Mullins, the evens favourite in the Balbriggan Retail Park Hurdle. Nina Carberry partnered Timmy Hyde"s 6/4 favourite Dumitas to victory in the closing McLoughlins Oil INH Flat Race. Moynalty jockey Declan McDonogh steered Nappa Star home at 5/1 for Limerick trainer C Byrnes in the Anglo Printers Handicap, on Friday, while Kiltale trainer Ger Lyons and Emmet McNamara were successful with Pallazzone, at 3/1, in the Bar One Racing Handicap. Friday also saw a win for Rathmolyon handler Joseph Fox and jockey Kevin Coleman when Lightening Sky, owned by Thomas A Kelly, took the Sam Dennigan Handicap Hurdle at 10/1. Ruby Walsh had another visit to the winners" enclosure on Saturday, with Tony Martin"s Honour the World, owned by Joseph Byrne, in the Champion Lettings Novice Hurdle, at 6/1. He was followed by Luke McNiff on Fingers for KF O"Brien of Laois in the Seamus Mulvany Crockafotha Handicap Hurdle (5/1), and Nina Carberry on Sutherland Star for Charlie Swan, also 5/1, in the Hireall Marquees INH Flat Race. There was controversy at the track on Saturday evening, when the feature hurdle race won by McNiff began before gambled-on favourite Warcraft arrived at the start. An inquiry has been set up by the Turf Club and trainer Michael Hourigan is raising the issue with the Irish Trainers Association. Hourigan"s Warcraft, owned by Ryanair chief executive Michael O"Leary, was a heavily-backed favourite (7/1 in to 100/30) for the hurdle, but his saddle slipped on the way to the start. Jockey Adrian Heskin struggled to pull the horse up but, after the favourite eventually stopped, he was being led to the start by Heskin and was half a furlong from the other runners when starter Derek Cullen began the race. After a prolonged stewards" inquiry that delayed the start of the final race by over half an hour, Warcraft was ruled a withdrawn horse. For anybody who missed the trip to the hill last week, there will be a second, and last, opportunity this year when the August festival takes place on 26th and 27th of the month. The other local meet last week was at Fairyhouse on Wednesday, which saw Ger Lyons record a double, with jockey Keagan Latham and owner Sean Jones. The Kiltale team won the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden with evens favourite Bank Robber, and the Golden Fleece Stakes with Perfect Symmetry, 11/8 favourite. There was a welcome visit to the winners" enclosure for Tony Martin with the tongue-twisting Osirixamix, owned by Seamus Ross, and ridden by Fran Berry at 8/1. Berry and Navan trainer James Halpin enjoyed success at the recent Curragh festival when 10/1 shot Headford View, owned by the JO"R Syndicate, won the valuable Irish Stallion Farm EBF Fillies Handicap. Andrew Lynch was back in the photographs on Monday evening at Roscommon when he rode Caroline Hutchinson"s Onzo More to a 4/1 win in the Boylesports Maiden Hurdle, while Marfach, owned by Ennistown Stud in Kilmessan and Mrs Jim Bolger, and trained by Jim Bolger, won the opening maiden race at 13/8, with Kevin Manning on board. Eamon Duignan"s For The Staff won the bumper flat race, from the Mullins stable, at 8/1.