Image © Healy Racing
Bill Hanly was the toast of local celebrations at the Comea point-to-point, as Barrow Ranger supplied the Master of the organising Scarteen Hunt with a second consecutive victory in the confined maiden, a race that he also sponsors.
Having taken the contest 12 months earlier with Townhill Lass, Hanly's purple and gold silks were again carried to success as the ‘Shark’ Hanlon-trained Barrow Ranger, fended off the late challenge of joint-favourite Glenmalure Flyer to score by a neck and provide the finish of the day.
For Hanly, who also serves as chairman of the Comea point-to-point committee, the victory carried added significance.
“As Master of the Scarteen Hunt, I always love to have a runner in the confined race,” Hanly explained. “We won it last year as well, so it’s a race that means a lot to me.”
Unlike Townhill Lass, who had been in his ownership well in advance of her success, former track performer Barrow Ranger was a more recent addition to the team.
With the race approaching, Hanly found himself without a suitable candidate and turned to ‘Shark’ Hanlon to see if there might be an option.
With the race approaching, Hanly found himself without a suitable candidate and turned to ‘Shark’ Hanlon to see if there might be an option.
“I rang Shark after Christmas to see had he anything that would be qualified for the race,” he said.
“He mentioned Barrow Ranger, a horse he had bought himself as a foal, and told me he was eligible. We did a deal and the whole plan was to run him at Comea.”
The plan worked out perfectly, albeit not without a fight. In testing but improving conditions, Barrow Ranger showed plenty of determination in the closing stages to repel Glenmalure Flyer, with the changing weather playing its part throughout the afternoon, resulting in the second fence being omitted.
“The ground was sticky, but Comea is one of the better courses and it dries very quickly,” Hanly noted.
“Little did we know on Saturday afternoon that we’d be taking out the second fence because of the sun. We had July-type sunshine on the Sunday, which you wouldn’t get next July.”
With the confined success now behind him, Hanly revealed that Barrow Ranger is likely to progress into winners’ company in the coming weeks.
“We might look at somewhere like Bandon and go for a winners-of-one with him now,” he said.
Last year’s heroine Townhill Lass has since been sold, having provided Hanly with his first success in the race when bravely holding off Just Keeps Rolling.
“She did her job for me,” Hanly said. “She won the race, and someone came along who wanted to buy her, so we moved her on. This year’s renewal of the confined was a stronger race.”
Hanly, who has interests in several horses on the track, balances his racing involvement with a busy professional life as a Limerick-based auctioneer and estate agent, operating Hanly Donnellan Auctioneers since 1992. The firm’s sponsorship of the Comea contest, now in its fifth or sixth year, reflects his ongoing commitment to the point-to-point.
“It’s a members’ race and it’s confined, but we’ve a fabulous membership and a brilliant working committee,” he said.
“We had a work day at the track earlier in the month and I was humbled by the turnout. It made everything much easier in the lead-up to raceday.”
Looking ahead, Hanly is already casting an eye to the future, with a pair of four-year-olds quietly coming along in training.
“I probably have too many horses,” he laughed. “I’ve a filly by Idaho with Eric McNamara and a gelding by Jet Away with Declan McNamara. They’re not ready to run yet, but they’re coming along nicely.”
With two consecutive victories already secured, the prospect of a hat-trick is firmly on his radar.
“I wouldn’t rule it out. You’re always thinking ahead in this game, and hopefully we’ll be back again for another crack at it in 2027.”
