It was a day to remember for point-to-point handler Paddy Turley when he saddled his first winner on the racecourse at Down Royal on Friday.
The Downpatrick handler, who has achieved some notable successes in the point-to-point fields, got off the mark under rules when his Mig Des Taillons ran out a facile winner of the Ladbrokes App Handicap Hurdle.
The son of Montmartre had been under Turley’s care when an early casualty in a four-year-old maiden at Tattersalls last December, before making the switch to track racing, running five times for Richard Curran, including a second placed effort in a Bumper at the Co. Down venue.
With this Turley’s first season with a license to also run horses under rules, the five-year-old was again under his care, and having been a beaten favourite at Tramore on his handicap debut earlier in the month when second to Trees Valley, his supporters were rewarded on this latest effort.
Once the blaze trailing Royal Road stepped aside at the third-last, Declan Lavery barely had to move an inch in the saddle, as the pair crossed the line four and a half lengths clear of fellow point-to-point graduate Lusis Naturea to give Turley that all important winner.
The former point-to-point rider, who now trains from a farm on the inside of Downpatrick racecourse, has achieved some notable feats since making the move into training, firstly selling his Largy four-year-old maiden winner Lecale’s Article to Highflyer Bloodstock for €320,000 at the 2018 Goffs Punchestown Sale.
More recently, he achieved success with his €40,000 Derby Sale purchase My Whirlwind, who after winning her four-year-old mares’ maiden at Ballycahane in 2019 under Lavery, was bought by Nicky Henderson for £400,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale.
