'She had been flying at home' - Malina Girl is third leg of Gavin Cromwell treble

The Cromwell kids will be happy again as their dad Gavin will return the Ulster National trophy to the family mantelpiece after the triumph of Malina Girl in the Randox-sponsored Downpatrick feature, the centrepiece of a stable treble.

Cromwell said: "We won it last year with JP McManus's Spades Are Trumps and we were lucky to keep the big trophy for the year. It's a perpetual trophy and it had to go back a couple of weeks ago. The kids weren't too happy, they wanted to keep it, so we will have it back for them in a couple of weeks."

Malina Girl, running for the first time for new owners Colin and Jackie Russell, who bought her only last week, was given a confident ride by Keith Donoghue and made light of the big step up in trip as she went away up the punishing Downpatrick hill to win by 3¾ lengths from My Design.

Cromwell added: "We gave her a bit of a break after a poor run at Leopardstown and she had been flying at home. I thought she would run a big race. She's a small mare but she jumps really well and I was confident that the step up in trip would not be a problem. She enjoyed it and stayed well."

The first leg of Cromwell's treble and Donoghue's double came in the opening 2m5½f maiden hurdle when Law Ella gained a deserved success after finishing runner-up three times this season. 

The middle leg was Soldaro in the mares' 2m3f handicap hurdle, Sean Flanagan renewing his partnership with a mare on whom he won at Clonmel earlier in the month.

Brouder's drama

There was no shortage of drama in the 2m2f handicap hurdle, with I Don't Get It making all for only his second win in 50 starts for Dromara trainer Neill McCluskey, both wins coming at this venue.

The horse hung left for most of the way under Gearoid Brouder, and from the third-last he looked a sitting duck for the chasing Tipp For Mac under Rachael Blackmore. 

The winner kept responding, however, with Blackmore's mount on his outer, and it was far from certain that Tipp For Mac was going to go past when he blundered his rider out of the saddle at the last. 

The drama was not finished though as I Don't Get It ducked right across the track turning in, his path blocked by the running rail, but as soon as he saw it he straightened up and picked up again to win by a length and a quarter from Warm In Gorey.

Brouder said:  "He's always that way and you just have to roll with him. He hangs left all the time, especially when he's in good form. He was mad fresh after a break. 

"I was able to keep Rachael on my outside coming down the hill, which was a big help. When she went he looked like he was going to run out, but he was only ducking for the rail for help. He's a rogue but he's a nice horse." 

It was also a good day for Clara McGoldrick, who rode her first winner on the track in the hunter chase when getting the spare ride on the Sean McParlan-trained Shantou Show. 

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