Bumper spell of success for local horse racing connections

RATHKEALE jockey Conor McNamara rode the big winner at Limerick Racecourse on Sunday afternoon where Eabha Grace, owned by the John Battersby Racing Syndicate, gave Willie Mullins a 1-2 in the Grade 3 Irish Wire Products Irish EBF Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle.

The 12/1 chance led at the second-last hurdle from where she comfortably held her Danny Mullins-ridden stable companion and 5/2 chance Hauturiere by two and a quarter lengths. 

Ballingarry trainer Charles Byrnes was another local winner as he sent out All Those Years to win the beginners’ chase under Luke Dempsey. In the JP McManus colours, the nine-year-old led at the last to beat Henry de Bromhead’s Clifton Warrior, the 5/4 favourite, by three-parts of a length.

Newcastle West conditional jockey Gary Noonan won the three-mile handicap chase on the Norman Lee-trained Made In The Woods. The Jackpot Racing Syndicate-owned 5/2 favourite made all the running and came home two and a quarter lengths to the good over the Michael McDonagh-trained 7/2 chance Happy Dreams.

Meanwhile, Shannon trainer Michael McDonagh added to his success with Happy Dreams at Fairyhouse at the end of February when Battle Of Mirbat won the John Thomas McNamara Series Qualified Riders Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on Monday. In McDonagh’s own colours, the 7/1 chance raced clear under Adam Ryan after the second-last fence to beat Philip Rothwell’s 5/2 favourite Galon De Vauzelle by eight lengths.

Ardnacrusha conditional jockey Diarmuid Moloney notched up his fourth career success when partnering 28/1 chance Karuma Grey to win the second division of the two-mile maiden hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday.

In the colours of raceday sponsor Paul Holden and trained by his daughter Ellmarie, the five-year-old raced up with the pace throughout and led after the final hurdle under to beat the Joseph O'Brien-trained 13/8 favourite Libby by a cosy two lengths.

Other Racing News:

At 66 years of age, Liam Burke became the second-oldest rider, and certainly the oldest in modern times, to win a race in Ireland when he partnered Teuchters Glory to win the concluding bumper at Limerick on Sunday.

For good measure, Burke trains and also part-owns the seven-year-old with William MacDonald and he brought the 9/2 chance home a five-length winner from the Gordon Elliott-trained Lucky Lyreen. Jamie Codd, who rode the runner-up, was six years of age and none of the other riders in the race were born when Burke last rode a winner in 1988, 35 years ago.

The oldest winning jockey in Ireland was Harry Beasley who was 71 when riding a winner at Punchestown in 1923.