Owner and jockey Adrian Browne partnered West Of Carrig to win the Jump Into January Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse Racecourse
15:08, 15 Jan 2026Updated 15:52, 15 Jan 2026
It’s a long trek from Carrigtwohill to Fairyhouse for but one amateur jockey the 550km round-trip was more than worthwhile on Thursday afternoon.
Adrian Browne is well known on the point-to-point circuit in the south of the country but he was celebrating his first ever racecourse success on West Of Carrig at the Meath venue.
Remarkably it was a real family affair as the nine-year-old, who has won five times in point-to-points, is also owned by 23-year-old Browne and trained by his dad Don Browne
They had been running him mainly in Hunter Chase contests on the track, but at the 19th attempt he broke his maiden tag when stepping into a Handicap Chase for the first time.
The 9-2 shot made all the running under a confident ride from his owner to hold off the challenge of Our By Rocky by two and a half lengths.
Browne rode his first point-to-point winner in 2023 and has been involved in an incredible adventure with his family-owned horse, even competing in the Hunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last March.
“There’s normally great support every day we go racing with uncles, aunts and everything, but of course he wins when nobody comes, only two brothers!” Browne said.
“The poor uncle goes every single day and the one day he wins, he misses, he went for surgery yesterday and he’ll be sickened now in hospital watching it but I'd say he got a great kick out of that and that’ll boost his recovery that’s for sure.
“We’ll go to the pub in Carrig tonight and see where that ends up!”
He continued: “The last 18 months has been some journey with him. We nearly lost him with collic but he took us to Cheltenham and he's been unreal. There are no words to describe how lucky we are to have him.
“I’ll never beat the first day winning a point-to-point at home in Carrigtwohill but this comes very close in fairness, it’s brilliant.”
“He’s won point-to-points for us and he’s been a great horse from the start. He’s a great lad to jump and travel and coming up here today, we said we’d let him roll away, go a good gallop and see what happens. In fairness he stayed going the whole way to the line."
Trainer Willie Mullins followed up his five-timer on Wednesday by introducing a potentially smart recruit to romp home by a massive 38 lengths in the Fairyhouse’s Racing Again 24th January Maiden Hurdle.
Mighty Park only got into the race as a late reserve but laid down a marker for the future with a bloodless success in the JP McManus colours under Mark Walsh.
“It might not have been the strongest of races but he couldn’t have done it any nicer than he did,“ said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.
“He has all the things you should have, a bit of size and scope so you couldn’t be happier. We’ll see what Willie thinks and see how he comes out of the run. We’ll give him three weeks I suppose and then see where he goes from there and see where Willie wants to go.”
Click here to sign up to our racing newsletter for the latest news and tips from the biggest meets.