Bumper attendance flocks to opening day of Limerick Christmas Racing Festival

A BUMPER attendance flocked to Greenmount Park on St Stephen's Day for the opening heat of the four-day Mr Binman Limerick Christmas Racing Festival.

Conditions were dry for the thousands of punters who thronged the enclosures at the Patrickswell venue for an exciting seven-race National Hunt card.

The feature race on the opening day, the Grade 2 Lyons Of Limerick Jaguar Novice Hurdle, was won by the well-supported Loughglynn, trained by leading handler Willie Mullins.

The 9/4 favourite, ridden by Sean O'Keeffe, proved a one length winner over the Gordon Elliott-trained Stellar Story.

The big race success provided winning trainer Mullins and winning jockey O'Keffe with an early afternoon double as the pair combined to win the opening race on the card, the Aqua Process Solutions 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle with short-priced favourite Bunting.

The 2/5 shot recorded an exciting eight length success over runner-up Mr Lincoln.

Another jockey to complete a Limerick double on St Stephen's Day was Sean Flanagan aboard The King Of Prs in the O'Kelly Brothers Rated Novice Chase. He had earlier won the Signsplus Maiden Hurdle aboard Joyau De Thaix for trainer Paul Nolan.

There was a nice Christmas winner for Kilmallock jockey Ray Barron in the final race of the day, the CJ Sheeran (M) INH Flat Race when he partnered Barnahash Primrose to victory for trainer Jonathan Sweeney.

The 3/1 shot recorded an impressive seven and a half length success over runner-up Harrys Annie at the finish line.

Racing continues at Greenmount Park tomorrow, Wednesday, December 27 with the opening race on day two of the Mr Binman Limerick Christmas Racing Festival underway at 12.19pm with the staging of the Goggin Buckley Mares Maiden Hurdle.

The feature race on the day is the ‘Grade 2 McMahons Builders Providers Irish EBF Dawn Run Mares Novice Steeplechase’, with a prize fund of €41,000.

The the ever-popular ‘Grade 1 Guinness Faugheen Novice Steeplechase’, with the largest prize fund of the festival, at €100,000, takes centre stage on Thursday, December 28.

The final day, Friday, 29 December, will feature ‘The Sporting Limerick Handicap Hurdle’, which carries a prize fund of €45,000 and “The Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle, with a prize fund of €20,000.

Full details on the Mr. Binman Christmas Racing Festival at Limerick Racecourse, and tickets from €20 p.p., are available at www.limerickraces.ie