On Your Way for Thornton at local track

Navan jockey Andrew Thornton was on the mark at Bellewstown on Thursday of last week when he landed the Mullaghcurry Cup Handicap Hurdle in fine style with On Your Way. Thornton had finished second on the Liz Doyle-trained gelding at Tralee the previous week and at Bellewstown hit the front approaching the second last flight and kept on well to win. On Your Way won at Bellewstown four years ago for Barry Geraghty and then went on to win a listed handicap hurdle at Galway, but hadn't won since that victory. Thornton made the long trip to Galway on Sunday for one ride where he teamed-up with On Your Way again, but this time the duo were out of luck. Ashbourne jockey Andrew Lynch doesn't appear to have had a problem with jet-lag since he returned from Australia and he was also on the mark at Bellewstown. Lynch and another Meath jockey, Robbie Colgan, was a member of the Irish team that won the annual national hunt series in Australia. At Bellewstown he teamed-up with Wellforth from the Caroline Hutchinson stable to win a hanricap hurdle. Lynch had previously won on the five-year-old gelding at Limerick last May and the horse also won an amateur handicap hurdle at the Munster track last month. Wellforth may reappear at Listowel next month. Lynch was also on the mark again for the Kildare trainer at Wexford on Friday where Kilmessan native Adrian Maguire trained the winner of the opening race. Asigh Pearl from the Noel Meade stable justified favourtism after she landed the opening race at Bellewstown on Thursday for Paul Carberry. Carberry tracked the leaders in the early part of the race and despite a mistake at the last down the back made ground to lead approaching the second last hurdle. "I was worried about the ground, the fact she fell the last day at Kilbeggan and I was also concerned about Otterstown Lady, but I'm the worst tipster," commented the trainer. Otterstown Lady had won a two-mile flat handicap at Leopardstown at the beginning of August in which Meade's Queen Althea finished down the field. "Hopefully we'll be able to win with her again and I think she'll be able to hold her own with other mares," added the Castletown man. Asigh Pearl won the last bumper of 2008 at Punchestown on 31st December. Nina Carberry rode her sixth winner of the month when she won the bumper at Bellewstown. The victory also gave her a 20th winner of the season and propelled her into joint-third place in the race for the jockeys' title along with Barry Geraghty, Davy Russell and Ruby Walsh. The talented jockey partnered the 2/5 favourite St Devote to victory in the final race of the year at the hill top Meath track. She made her move to win the race over two furlongs out and kept on well for a comfortable victory. Oristown, Kells trainer Michael Mulvany enjoyed his first success at Bellewstown on Wednesday evening when Firm Foundations obliged. Partnered by Gary Carroll, Firm Foundations landed a maiden race. The three-year-old filly was winning for the first time after seven previous attempts, but the jockey was hauled before the stewards in relation to his use of the whip. Having viewed the video of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards were of the opinion that Carroll had used his whip with excessive frequency and suspended him for one race day. "She's a very rough sort of a filly, we don't know where we're going to go next and we were just trying to find out what her trip is," stated the trainer who was out of luck with his other runner, The Tooth Fairy. Wilkinstown, Navan trainer Liam McAteer saddled 5/1 shot Peculiar Prince to land a handicap on the flat which started a good spell for the trainer. Ridden by Niall McCullagh, Peculiar Prince was winning at Bellewstwon for the second time, the last victory there was in 2005 and McAteer's horse hadn't won anywhere since 2007. "Niall gets on well with this horse and he knew what to do, but we were afraid of the ground as all of his best form is on fast ground," stated McAteer. Moynalty jockey Declan McDonogh took the opening race at Bellewstown on Wednesday when Midnight Mover won the nursery on an all-flat card. McDonogh had to divert via the stewards room before the 'winner alright' was announced as the Meath jockey got a bit too close to the favourite Money Trader in the closing stages. McDonogh, a former champion jockey a couple of years ago, moved on to the 37-winner mark for the season with that success.