Image © Healy Racing
Amy Parsons enjoyed a landmark success at Loughanmore on Easter Monday as Nelsons Port provided her with a first winner as a handler in the concluding six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
The seven-year-old, who was making a belated debut, produced a polished display under Dara McGill to score by four lengths, and Parsons admitted afterwards that she had arrived with a degree of confidence.
“We didn’t think she’d be far away. Her work had been improving all the time and we thought she would have a right chance.”
Held up just behind the pace, Nelsons Port travelled strongly throughout and was third heading out onto the final circuit before making steady headway. She edged ahead after two out and, once asked to quicken, asserted before the last and stayed on well to the line.
Parsons was also quick to acknowledge the role played by McGill, who has ridden several of their runners.
“He’s ridden for us a few times and been placed a few times for us, so it’s great that he got a winner as well. He’s a good rider.”
Owned by Aisling Molloy, Nelsons Port is out of the dual-purpose winner Benefit Of Porter, but her route to the track has been far from straightforward, having encountered a number of setbacks earlier in her career.
“She had a couple of setbacks and she was actually going to run on the track. She’d been in training a few times and things just didn’t go right, so they asked if we’d get her going for a point-to-point.
“It could have all been for luck really because she’s a big filly and she’s only really come to herself now.”
The manner in which she came through the race has left connections optimistic about what could come next.
“She came out of it perfect. The race cut up quite well and it didn’t take an awful lot out of her for her first run.”
While the mare was originally purchased with breeding in mind, her future could now lie back on the track following this breakthrough success.
“They bought her to breed from eventually, but now she’s fit and taking her work really well, it would be a shame not to keep going with her. I think they’re going to try and run her on the track.”
The victory was Parsons’ third runner of the season and a deserved breakthrough for the Meath-based handler, who operates a small but busy set-up alongside her partner and former jockey Anthony Fox.
“We’d only do one or two pointers a year. We keep it small and try to have a bit of quality rather than quantity.
“We do a bit of everything really. We breeze, we do event horses and we pre-train as well, and we both ride out for Gordon Elliott.”
The couple have a long-standing association with Elliott, with Anthony riding out regularly while Parsons undertakes much of the flat work with his horses each day, alongside pre-training duties for the Cullentra yard.
With space for 10 horses at Foxley Lodge, they have deliberately kept their operation compact, and that patient approach is reflected in their numbers, with Nelsons Port just their 14th runner since Parsons saddled her first in the 2021/22 season.
“We’ve ten boxes and we manage it between ourselves, so we’re happy enough keeping it that way.”
Their approach has already yielded results, having produced Double Powerful, who finished third at Tinahely before being sold to England and has since gone on to win six races over hurdles for Neil Mulholland.
Alongside their pointing and pre-training operation, Parsons also produces eventers up to intermediate level, while the couple have a number of breeze-up horses in training, with sales activity forming a key part of their year.
Parsons, who moved to Ireland from Wales around 20 years ago to take up an apprenticeship with Joanna Morgan before also spending time with Tom McCourt, partnered 25 winners on the Flat.
“Joanna Morgan is Welsh and my parents knew her, so I came over for the summer originally and I never went home,” she said.
Family remains at the heart of the operation, with their five-year-old daughter Francesca already a familiar face around the yard.
“Francesca loves the horses and is always out with us,” Parsons said, with the youngster and her pony Buttons already proving a popular pairing on social media.
With no further point-to-point runners planned for the remainder of the season, attention will now turn to their eventers and breeze-up horses, before returning to the store sales over the summer in search of a couple of promising three-year-olds.
