Image © Healy Racing
Norman Lee made a winning start to his point-to-point season when his first runner of the campaign, For Beatrice, impressed in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden at Quakerstown last weekend.
The victory came six weeks after the Gort-based handler suffered serious injuries in a fall while working a horse at home. Lee spent two weeks in hospital and is recovering in a halo brace, with his partner Alice Gordon and the yard’s staff helping to keep the operation going.
For Beatrice’s victory came just a few miles from Kilmacduagh Stables. The land on which the track is situated belongs to Lee’s cousin Gerard.
“She’s a nice filly, a nice filly we think a lot of. Quakerstown is actually only about three or four miles from my yard,” said Lee.
The daughter of Walk In The Park had been pulled up on her only previous start at Bellharbour in February, but her handler was confident she could show more on her return.
“The ground was very holding that day. She wants a bit of nicer ground and she loved it. We fancied the life out of her going there. She’s a filly that works very well and hopefully we’ll get her sold now.”
Under Eoin Mahon, For Beatrice jumped to the front three out and drew clear of her rivals. Eased on the run-in, she came home four lengths ahead of Quiet In Bresil.
“She came out of it great. She actually did her job on the bridle, so she hadn’t a hard race.”
Lee shares the mare with William and Grace McMahon. William bought her as a foal, and she is named after his late mother-in-law, Beatrice.
For Beatrice has a pedigree to match her performance. She is out of Grade 2-winning hurdler Vast Consumption and is a full-sister to six-time track winner Puddlesinthepark.
The mare was sold at last Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale, with Marcus Collie and Oliver Signy for £60,000.
“She’s a smart filly with plenty of gears. She’s shown us loads and I think she’ll be a very smart mare on the track.
The success was Lee’s 24th between the flags and his first since Siog Geal won at Bellharbour in February 2024. That mare subsequently joined Fergal O’Brien and went on to win a Grade 2 hurdle at Newbury.
“This one would be a little bit bigger, but they’re two very nice mares. Their work would be very alike — they’re really tigerish, tough mares to work and easy mares to train.”
Lee broke his neck, back and chest in the fall and spent two weeks in hospital. He opted for a halo brace rather than surgery and hopes it may be removed in the coming weeks.
“It was a close one, but we got away with it. I’m overseeing it, but I can’t do any physical work.
“My partner Alice has stepped in and is keeping the thing going with me. We’ve great staff as well; we’ve a great little team of people there.”
The yard has been reduced from 25 horses to 18 since the accident to ease the workload on the team. Around a dozen are being prepared for the track, with a number of point-to-pointers still to be unveiled.
The Kilmacduagh team has enjoyed a rich vein of form on the track in recent months. At The Wings won in succession at Navan and Gowran Park, Strong Contender struck twice at Wexford and Sligo, and Ladiam added another victory at the Listowel Festival.
Alongside the track team, Lee hopes to have more young horses ready to run between the flags around Christmas and into the spring.
“We have a couple of four-year-old fillies there and a few nice track horses coming along for the winter,” he added. “I have two four-year-old maiden winners that were bought and are in for training for people, so I’m hoping they’ll be decent track horses.”
“We have a couple of four-year-old fillies there and a few nice track horses coming along for the winter,” he added. “I have two four-year-old maiden winners that were bought and are in for training for people, so I’m hoping they’ll be decent track horses.”
