Mulholland's pace-setting July

Neil Mulholland's excellent July finished with a flourish yesterday as the stable enjoyed a double at Bangor, securing the 8th and 9th wins of the month for the Conkley Grange team.

0-140 rated handicap chases are quite thin on the ground during the summer months, but former owner Michael Masterson may be ruing selling French - bred Cesar et Rosalie who has since won 3 times. Yesterday's winning distance of a head was hard - won, as Robbie Dunne made up for his Stratford unseat the previous day in the final stride.

The soft ground precipitated a division of the concluding conditional riders' handicap hurdle, which was good news for Ben Jones, clocking his 75th career winner . The sea air from his boat journey from Wexford seems to have been a tonic for winner Glendruid, a 3 1/4l winner, and the subject of an enquiry as a result of his improved form.

The theme of crossing the sea for winners seems to suit Mulholland, who has enjoyed 7 winners in Jersey in their past 2 fixtures. Expect to see him back there again for August 8th and the grandly titled Jersey Champion Hurdle.