Image © Healy Racing
Alan Harney reached a career milestone on his initial mount of the new season when Monbeg Park’s success in the open at Curraghmore on Sunday saw him ride out his 5lb claiming allowance.
Harney partnered the Donnchadh Doyle-trained nine-year-old to a half-length victory over Harry Des Ongrais, bringing his point-to-point tally to 21 winners from 192 rides.
Having finished last season one winner short of the milestone, 25-year-old Harney was delighted to reach it at his local fixture, just 20 minutes from home.
“It’s brilliant. It’s great to have that milestone gone really,” he said. “I was looking for that last year.
“That would be my local track, only 20 minutes away, so it was nice to get a winner there as well.”
Monbeg Park, a five-time track winner owned by the Monbeg Syndicate, was returning to pointing, and Harney felt his experience would stand him in good stead.
“I thought he had a good chance. If he was back to himself, he was going to take a lot of beating.”
“With all his experience, it was very straightforward. He won snug enough at the line.”
Harney has been based with Donnchadh Doyle since 2019, with the handler also supplying his first winner aboard Er Dancer at Turtulla in November 2021.
Alongside his daily work at Donnchadh’s, he schools for Eamonn Doyle two or three days a week when needed and helps Rob James in the afternoons when time allows.
“Most of my winners are for the Doyles, so it’s brilliant,” he said. “They’re very good. They look out for you the whole time.”
Before joining the Monbeg team, Harney spent three years with Henry de Bromhead, where he looked after Minella Indo and led him up for his Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle victory at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
He is still seeking his first track winner and hopes Monbeg Park might eventually provide an opportunity in a hunter chase. For now, another open looks the likely next step for Sunday’s winner.
“He was perfect on Monday morning, fresh and well, so hopefully he’ll go again in another couple of weeks,” Harney reported.
With the claim now gone, his focus is on adding to his tally and making the most of the young horses coming through the yard.
“Just keep the head down and try to ride as many winners as we can. Four-year-olds would be nice.
“It’s great riding a young four-year-old and watching them go on to the next trainer. You’d be hoping they’d go on to do bigger and better things.
“There’s a lovely young bunch of horses down there, so hopefully there’ll be a few stars in it.”
