Limerick trainer and jockey have week to remember at Listowel Harvest Festival

WEST Limerick trainer Eoin McCarthy had a week to remember at the Listowel Harvest Festival when saddling no fewer than six winners, inclduing recording a first treble ever on Friday.

The 18/1 chance Carla’s Pet was a winner for in-form Athea-based Eoin McCarthy and Newcastle West jockey Gary Noonan at Listowel on Wednesday last where she landed the two and a quarter-mile handicap hurdle. Owned by John Kelly, the six-year-old led after the final hurdle to beat the Charles Byrnes-trained 7/2 shot Eastmore by two and a half lengths.

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Trainer McCarthy landed back-to-back winners at Listowel on Thursday where County Kerry’s Thomas O’Connor and Newcastle West jockey Gary Noonan did the steering.

O’Connor partnered the Sean Maguire-owned Fast Felix to win the two-mile opportunity handicap hurdle, the 7/1 chance comfortably beating the Tony Mullins-trained 9/2 joint-favourite Paul’s Dream by three and a quarter-lengths, while Noonan enjoyed a four-length success on Shadow Paddy in the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle, the 9/2 favourite racing clear from the final hurdle in the colours of the Complete Package Syndicate to beat Peter Fahey’s 5/1 chance Avalo.

The in-form Eoin McCarthy stole the show at Listowel on Friday with a treble, the first of his training career. Jody Townend set the ball rolling as she scored a narrow success on the seven-year-old Ollie La Ba Ba in the ladies’ handicap hurdle.

The Sean Maguire-owned seven-year-old got up in the closing stages to pip his fellow 9/2 joint-favourite Half A Chance, trained by Shark Hanlon, by a neck. The Gary Noonan-ridden Regards To Rose won the two-mile handicap hurdle by a more comfortable two and three-parts of a length.

Owned and bred by Mick Mortell, the 7/1 chance led before the second-last hurdle to beat the Terence O'Brien-trained 11/2 shot Inchiquin Maid. Thomas O’Connor rode his second winner in as many days when partnering the 9/2 favourite Tropical Image to take the two and three-quarter-mile mares’ handicap hurdle.

Another owned by Sean Maguire, the 16/1 shot went clear over the final hurdle to win by five lengths from Gavin Cromwell’s 33/1 chance Sights Unseen.

Noonan completed his own double, and brought his week’s tally to four winners, when taking the two-mile three-furlong handicap chase on the Eric McNamara-trained 15/2 chance Gaelic Des Chastys. The nine-year-old got up in the final strides to pip Michael Winters’ 4/1 favourite Crowsatedappletart by a shorthead.

Unsurprisingly McCarthy was leading trainer at Listowel’s harvest festival with those six successes, while jockey Gary Noonan secured the riding honours with four wins.

Divided into National Hunt and Flat categories and sponsored by Connolly’s Red Mills, McCarthy’s successes came over jumps and saw him finish two ahead of Wille Mullins while Joseph O’Brien was leading Flat trainer with three wins.

meanwhile, to cap an excellent spell for Limerick trainers, the Pat O’Donnell-trained Dragon Of Malta landed back-to-back wins on the second and third days of the Listowel festival at the beginning of the week. On Monday, he won the eight-furlong handicap in fine style.

The Gzira Syndicate-owned 6/1 shot headed Chris Timmons’ front-running 10/1 chance Still She Blooms inside the final furlong to win by a length and three-parts, his sixth career success and his second win at the Listowel Festival. The eight-year-old was also a Galway Festival winner two years ago. Billy Lee reached the 45-winner mark as he took the three-year-old maiden over the same distance on the Paddy Twomey-trained Naples.

Owned by Claire Carroll, the 16/5 chance led inside the final furlong to score by a neck from Joe Murphy’s Lady Lilac, a 5/2 joint-favourite. Askeaton-based Michael Flannery saddled his first winner when the 33/1 chance Ehteyat routed 14 rivals to take the concluding 14-furlong handicap.

In Flannery’s own colours, the six-year-old made all the running under Paddy Harnett to win by eight and a half lengths from the Michael O’Meara-trained 6/1 shot Plunkett Street.

Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes completed a treble for Joseph O'Brien at Fairyhouse on Monday when partnering the debutante Yaupon De Replay to win the six-furlong Listed Ballyhane Blenheim Stakes.

The 20/1 chance came from well off the pace to pip Johnny Murtagh’s 7/1 chance Chicago Call by a neck. O’Brien was earlier a winner with the Wayne Hassett-ridden Love Is Blind and Joey Sheridan’s mount Miracle Beauty. Each of O’Brien’s winners came at the main expense of a Murtagh-trained runner.

Pat O’Donnell’s Dragon Of Malta was back in the winners’ enclosure at Listowel on Tuesday when taking the seven-furlong handicap at odds of 11/4 favourite. County Cork apprentice Julian Pietropaolo was in the saddle this time and he brought the Gzira Syndicate-owned eight-year-old home a five-length winner from Joseph O'Brien’s 11/2 chance Mathan.

Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce might well fancy own chances in the apprentice championship and he moved on to the 18-winner mark for the season when winning the eight-furlong handicap on the Michael Mulvany-trained Sunriseontheboyne. In the trainer’s own colours, the 13/2 chance was soon in front and he made the best of his way home to beat Fozzy Stack 9/4 favourite Chazzesmee by a comfortable five lengths, leaving Joyce three winners behind Robert Whearty in the junior title race at the close of play.

Cheltenham Festival bumper second Heads Up made a winning return to action when taking the two-mile auction maiden hurdle at Listowel on Thursday. With Mark McDonagh riding in his uncle Darragh McDonagh’s colours, the John McConnell-trained 8/13 favourite led from the first hurdle and came home a two-length winner from the Eric McNamara-trained 9/2 shot L’ Evangeliste.

At Dundalk on Friday evening, Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee and trainer Paddy Twomey won the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden with the 6/5 favourite Yellowstone Lake. Owned by the Zinlo Syndicate, the two-year-old led early in the straight and held Donnacha O'Brien’s 8/1 chance Emmeleia by half a length.

Ridden for owner/breeder Paddy Meany by Wesley Joyce, the Pat Foley-trained Famous Enough won the first division of the eight-furlong handicap. The 8/1 chance came from off the pace and led close to the line to beat the Sean Davis-trained 11/4 favourite Venetian by a length.

Chris Hayes landed a double at the Curragh on Saturday where he rode winners for Michael Grassick and John Kinsella. He won the five-furlong Joe McGrath Handicap on the Grassick-trained three-year-old Gazelle D’or for owners Aidan Gleeson and Joe Keeling.

The 9/1 shot came from off the pace to lead inside the final furlong and she scored by a neck from the Katie McGivern-trained 10/1 chance Kendall Roy at the line. Hayes then teamed up with County Wicklow trainer John Kinsella to win the seven-furlong handicap with Engines On.

Owned by Peter Stone, the 13/2 chance led over a furlong out to beat David Marnane’s 5/1 shot Tokenomics by three-parts of a length.

Bruree-based Enda Bolger was among the winners on the final day of the Listowel Festival on Saturday where the six-year-old Pride Of Place ran away with the three-mile handicap chase. Bred by Noreen McManus and owned by her husband JP, the 16/5 favourite raced clear off the home turn under Josh Halford to win by all of 12 lengths from the Philip Rothwell-trained Dorans Law.

The 4/1 shot Black Caviar Gold was another winner for the Billy Lee/Paddy Twomey combination as she took the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes in fine style. Leading well inside the final furlong, she went clear to win by two and three-parts of a length from Joe Murphy’s Pivotal Attack, another at odds of 4/1.

Upcoming Fixtures

Cork – Tuesday, September 30 (First race 1.45pm)

Sligo – Wednesday, October 1 (First race 1.50pm)

Bellewstown – Wednesday, October 1 (First race 1.38pm)

Bellewstown – Thursday, October 2 (First race 2.05pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, October 2 (First race 2.15pm)

Dundalk – Friday, October 3 (First race 5.20pm)

Gowran Park – Friday, October 3 (First race 2.01pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, October 4 (First race 1.55pm)

Curragh – Saturday, October 4 (First race 1.07pm)

Killarney – Sunday, October 5 (First race 1.49pm)

Tipperary, Sunday, October 5 (First race 1.33pm)