Athea winner among highlights at well-attended Limerick Student Race Day

TRAINER Paddy Twomey saddled the exciting Catalina Delcarpio to win the opening 10-furlong fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown on Wednesday last. In the colours of owner Robert Moran, the Billy Lee-ridden 11/4 chance picked up in fine style to lead over a furlong from the finish and she raced right away to score by four and a half lengths from the Joseph O'Brien-trained 4/1 shot Tswalu.

Later on the card, Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes took the seven-furlong handicap on the S And S Partnership-owned Are You In Or Out. The Paul Stafford-trained 5/1 shot battled well from the furlong-pole to score by half a length from the Paul Flynn-trained Browned Off.

Cian Quirke rode the first two winners in front of 14,000 student racegoers at Limerick on Thursday and he shared his success with trainer Andy Slattery and Aengus King. He teamed up with Slattery to take the opening four-year-old fillies’ maiden hurdle on the 7/2 chance Preparations. She made all the running on her jumping debut to score by two lengths from Joseph O'Brien’s 4/11 favourite Janes Harbour.

The King-trained Midnight Eagle completed the jockey’s double when winning the two-mile handicap hurdle in the trainer’s own colours. An 18/1 chance, the five-year-old gained the advantage before the final hurdle to win by two and a half lengths from Philip Rothwell’s 5/2 favourite Cramers Valley. 

There was local success as the Gary Noonan-ridden Carrigg Island took the two-mile five-furlong maiden hurdle for Athea trainer Eoin McCarthy. Leading before the second-last hurdle on the Matthew O’Connor-owned 66/1 chance, Noonan got the five-year-old home by three lengths from Pat Foley’s 4/7 favourite Mashalla Habibi.

The smart One Look made a winning return to action to take the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express Stakes for Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee and Paddy Twomey at the Curragh on Saturday.

Owned by the Connolly Racing Syndicate, the four-year-old was always up with the pace and she led inside the final furlong to beat Aidan O'Brien’s 7/1 shot Ecstatic by a length and three-parts on her first start since September of last year.

Upcoming Fixtures

Gowran Park – Wednesday, April 16 (First race 1.57pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, April 17 (First race 4.20pm)

Cork – Saturday, April 19 (First race 1.25pm)

Fairyhouse – Saturday, April 19 (First race 2.10pm)

Cork – Sunday, April 20 (First race 1.12pm)

Fairyhouse – Sunday, April 20 (First race 1.22pm)