KENNETT SQUARE, Pa.--Joe Davies saddled three winners at Willowdale Steeplechase on Saturday, May 9, including two, The Ballybreen Fox (Ire) and De Nordener (Ire), for Armata Stables.

Bogey's Image, ridden by Teddy Davies, leads Huyana early in the Timber Stakes (Photo by Jim Graham)Davies also saddled Bogey's Image to win the featured Willowdale Timber Stakes.

"It was a good day," said Davies.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Ben Griswold, primary owner of Armata Stables. 

Armata Stables' The Ballybreen Fox, ridden by Teddy Davies, won the $15,000, 3 mile Maiden Timber by 3 lengths over Doesn't Sting (GB), trained by Jack Fisher, and Shining Marble (Ire), trained by Kathy Neilson.

Armata's De Nordener,, ridden by Charlie Marshall, won the $15,000 Foxhunter's Chase Apprentice Rider Timber by 4 3/4 lengths over Old Style Humor (Ire), trained by Mark Beecher, and The Kid Rocks, trained by Meriweather Morris. 

"We've had The Ballybreen Fox a couple of years," said Griswold. "He came with that name, straight from County Tipperary.'

"We've had De Nordener a couple of years, too," said Griswold. "Charlie Marshall, who rode Mr. Fine Threads to win the Maryland Hunt Cup, found both of them for us."

"They probably won't run again this spring," said Griswold. "As for where they'll go next, the one race we all want to win is the Maryland Hunt Cup. That's a huge goal. The odds of winning that race are so small."

Armata Stables has won the Maryland Hunt Cup four times, including most recently this spring, 

"Armata Stables has been in business for 32 years, running in it every year,, so that's how often you have tor run in it to win," said Griswold.

 

BOGEY'S IMAGE, owned by Achaah O'Donovan and ridden by Teddy Davies, won the 3 1/2 mile Willowdale Steeplechase Timber Stakes by 13 3/4 lengths over Withoutmoreado (Ire), trained by Neilson, and Master Seville, trained by  Beecher.

Bogey''s Image led most of the way, opening up after the last fence to win comfortably.

Cyril Murphy saddled Irv Naylor's Ranger Thunderbolt, ridden by Elizabeth Scully, who led all the way to win the $20,000, 2 1/4 mile Rose Tree Cup Ratings Handicap by 2 lengths over Garrison Forest (Ire), trained by Leslie Young, and Brie's Mission, trained by Neilson.

Young saddled Silverton Hill's Two Past Eight (GB), ridden by Luke Carberry, to win the $15,000 Apprentice Rider Hurdle by 2 1/2 lengths over King of the Kids, trained by Murphy, and Belfast Banter (Ire0, also trained by Murphy.

Todd McKenna saddled Devon Smith's Lewin's Gully (Ire), ridden by Paddy Barlow, to win the $15,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 1 1/2 lengths over Whiskeyinthejaro, trained by Beecher, and Mainstream Sellout, trained by Tom Garner.