Image © Healy Racing
Ballinclay Court returned from a 1,073-day absence to record her first career success for owner Aidan Byrne and the in-form Robert Tector yard in the concluding older mares’ maiden at Necarne on Friday evening.
Ridden by Shane Cotter, the nine-year-old daughter of Court Cave showed plenty of determination to deny the rallying Craan Rose by a neck in the closest finish of the day, providing Cotter with the second leg of a double on the card.
The victory came after a remarkable period away from the track for Ballinclay Court, whose previous outing had come in a handicap hurdle at Wexford in May 2023.
During her absence, the mare produced a colt by Workforce and is currently back in foal to Dee Ex Bee, with Byrne admitting the decision to bring her back into training only came about after a change in circumstances within his small team.
“I had a couple of four-year-olds there with Rob as well and two of those won before Christmas, so they were sold and I didn’t really have anything then to run for the rest of the year.
“I just had her in leading some of the three-year-olds jumping and she just felt as good as ever. We kind of tried to do a bit with her and see if she was enjoying it and she seemed to be the same as she ever was, so we said we’d give her a go.”
The victory represented a rare achievement for a mare resuming her racing career after broodmare duties and such a lengthy absence from the track.
Byrne was in attendance at Necarne to welcome the mare back into the winners’ enclosure and admitted beforehand he was hopeful of a big run, with the Fermanagh venue already holding fond memories for him after Bee’s Kiss won there at the corresponding two-day fixture 12 months earlier.
“I thought she’d run to her previous form anyway, so we were hoping she’d run well.”
The decision to return Ballinclay Court to training proved fully justified as she produced a deserved breakthrough success on what was only her sixth start between the flags.
Bought by Byrne for just €4,700 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale in 2018, Ballinclay Court was the first foal he had ever purchased and also became his first ever point-to-point runner.
“She was actually the first foal that I ever bought. I would have intended to go point-to-pointing with her and then sell her afterwards.
“She was unlucky enough not to win a couple of times and I then held on to her. I breed a few mares anyway, so I decided to keep her.”
That patience has been rewarded, with all five of Byrne’s point-to-point runners to date having recorded victories, all trained by Tector, namely Ballinclay Court, Little Miller, Bee’s Kiss, Valtteri Its James and Dutton Law.
The Killegney native has become an increasingly familiar owner within Tector’s Coolbawn operation, a connection that developed through his long-term relationship with Tector’s sister Emma, who also bred Valtteri Its James.
The son of Poet’s Word realised £80,000 after his Damma House success. He was subsequently sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale before joining the yard of Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore in Britain.
“We would have had ponies when we were kids and I got into it that way.
“When I was in secondary school I started with Liz Doyle and I was with her for a good few years. While I was in college in Maynooth I spent time with Philip Dempsey and I did a summer in Joseph O’Brien’s and spent some time with Aidan O’Brien as well.
“My granddad bred a few mares and then Robert’s dad breeds a good few as well, so I probably got the interest from both sides.”
Alongside a dairy farm and six broodmares at home near Enniscorthy, Byrne continues to break and pre-train many of his own young horses, while also helping out at Tector’s yard when time allows.
“I still ride out a few for Robert and I break them all myself. I’d have groups there of every age and try to always have a few coming through.”
Although Byrne admitted he would like to move into training himself at some stage in the future, his current focus remains firmly on producing young horses through the point-to-point field.
“I mainly prefer the breeding and breaking side of it. The point-to-points are a good way to start them off and hopefully get them an owner to continue on with them afterwards.”
With Ballinclay Court having come out of Friday’s race in good form, connections are now considering a possible return to the track during the summer months before she eventually resumes broodmare duties full-time.
With Ballinclay Court having come out of Friday’s race in good form, connections are now considering a possible return to the track during the summer months before she eventually resumes broodmare duties full-time.
