The next time you’re in Powell’s Road on Castleisland Races day, pay slightly closer attention to the jockies you’ll see milling around the parade ring and going all out from the final bend.
Dingle’s now famous jockey, Jack Kennedy has plied his trade around Mossie Brosnan’s field – though it may have been Geaney’s at the time – many the time as an amateur.
Best Mate and Bindaree
Oisín Murphy, now well known in the flat racing circuit, is a nephew of the great Jim Culloty of Best Mate and Bindaree and Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National fame.
In fact Culloty himself attended the Castleisland meeting at one point in its recent history.
Every Daisy on the Course
And just yesterday, Paul Townend, who can justifiably claim that he knows every daisy on the Powell’s Road course, became the latest graduate of the Irish Horse and Pony Racing Circuit to do the buisness on a world stage and on one of the very best days to do so.
Townend rode, Alboum Photo so calculatingly and so carefully through obstacles anticipated and unexpected to win yesterday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup – and the first for trainer Willie Mullins.
Townend’s Deeper Links
But Paul Townend’s links with the Castleisland races go far deeper than those of a visiting jockey- for-a-day.
He rode for the local syndicate and did so as he did yesterday with the same levels of passion and success.
Local races chairman and local election candidate, Charlie Farrelly said that he and his committee are all so delighted for Paul Townend and his success in riding a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
Like Yesterday
“It seems like only yesterday that he rode Minnie Me for the Growing Up Syndicate from Castleisland,” he said.
“He partnered her to 58 wins on the Horse & Pony Racing Circuit and on one of his greatest days in the saddle he rode seven winners at the Castleisland Races.
The Winners’ Enclosure
Enjoy your success Paul with all the Townend family,” said Charlie – who is now involved in one of the races of his life as he goes all out to make the winners’ enclosure as a local election independent candidate for the four-seater Castleisland area on May 24th.
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