Image © Healy Racing
Mark Byrne celebrated his first success as a handler at Curraghmore on Sunday when Colvin landed the concluding winners-of-one under Nicole Lockhead Anderson.
The seven-year-old benefited from dramatic departures at the final fence, where leader Stan Wellback fell and hampered Roman Parish, who unseated his rider. That left Colvin, who had been third, to finish alone and give the County Galway-based owner-handler a winner from only his fourth runner.
“It was lucky in the end with the two coming down at the last, but a win’s a win,” said Byrne.
Originally from Carlow, the 38-year-old comes from a showjumping family. His mother Anna is a sister of Irish international riders Jack and Edward Doyle, while his father Tom Byrne also competed.
Byrne progressed through ponies and young riders himself, and showjumping remains a major part of life at Northbrook Farm, which he runs with his wife Sorcha North near Kilconnell.
Sorcha has competed in Grand Prix company with Lord Archie, and the couple currently have around 15 showjumpers, alongside their two pointers and a handful of young thoroughbreds. They also keep cattle and run an equine rehabilitation operation, using facilities that include an all-weather gallop and an aqua treadmill.
Their racing involvement developed after stores bought for resale failed to find buyers and were retained to race, beginning an association with Sam Curling that has brought success both on the track and between the flags.
“The first one that started it off for us was a mare called Sarah Beara. She was placed in a few Grade 3s and won a handicap hurdle. She was the one that started it all for us.”
Sarah Beara won at Wexford in August 2023 and finished third in three Grade 3 novice hurdles. She is now in foal to Moises Has, while Lord Ffrench added a maiden hurdle success at Sligo last year.
Curling has also supplied point-to-point wins with Shake The Bag and, more recently, Nancy Wheeler, whom Lockhead Anderson partnered at Portrush earlier this month.
Byrne took out his handler’s permit this summer to train a small team at home and give Sorcha opportunities to ride between the flags.
Colvin was bought through a ThoroughBid online sale earlier this year with that aim, having won his maiden for Stuart Crawford at Loughanmore last October.
“I was looking for a horse that would suit my wife to ride in novice riders’ races. I noticed he had been ridden by a novice rider last year and could go into winners’ races.”
After Sorcha’s first two outings on Colvin ended in an unseat and a pulled-up effort, Byrne turned to Lockhead Anderson, who already knew the couple through Curling’s yard.
“Nicole has ridden a few for me on the track, and she rode Nancy Wheeler when she won at Portrush.
“I asked would she mind sitting on him because she has a lot more experience and might be able to tell us what he was doing during the race.”
Curling’s support extends beyond training the couple’s younger horses. Byrne makes the two-and-a-half-hour journey to his yard to work the pointers, having travelled twice weekly before they began racing this autumn.
“His facilities are out of this world, and I’m lucky to be allowed to use them. He’s been a great help, giving me pointers and telling me what I’m doing right or wrong. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
The other pointer at home is Redemption Day, Willie Mullins’ 2024 Punchestown Grade 1 bumper winner, who joined the couple through former jockey Roger Loughran.
Former owner Tim O’Driscoll agreed to let them have the gelding to rehabilitate and provide Sorcha with an experienced ride. He unseated at Curraghmore but came out of the race well, with a ladies’ open among the possibilities for his next outing.
Plans for Colvin remain open, with Lockhead Anderson potentially continuing the partnership. Byrne’s priority is finding a suitable schoolmaster for Sorcha, while their younger prospects will continue to go to Curling.
The couple get their younger horses fit at home before sending them to Curling, where they can develop alongside a larger group.
“We get them as fit as we can at home, and then they’re better off down there in a big group of horses, learning their trade.
“We’re enjoying it. It’s a good buzz to be able to get one fit yourself and saddle it. At the minute we’re happy to take it as it comes.”
