Talented Southill jockey Terry Casey celebrates memorable first win on the track

ATHEA trainer Eoin McCarthy and Gary Noonan won the opening division of the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with the five-year-old Shadow Paddy at Tipperary on Wednesday last.

Owned by the Complete Package Syndicate, the 11/1 chance led at the second-last hurdle to beat Eric McNamara’s 10/1 chance Olord by two and three-parts of a length.

Bruree-based Enda Bolger took the second leg of the same race with the Mark Walsh-ridden Gimme A Buzz. A strong 15/8 favourite, JP McManus’ five-year-old made all the running and gamely held off Dick Donohoe’s Ballycommon Chapel by three-parts of a length.

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Rathkeale trainer Eric McNamara had better luck in the three-mile one-furlong maiden hurdle which went the way of his five-year-old Bitofajokelike. In the colours of The Jokers Partnership, the 11/4 favourite led under Jake Coen on the turn into the straight and he just held the rallying Kildinan Prince, a 9/1 shot for trainer Jonathan Sweeney, by a head.

Punters certainly made the worst of starts at Roscommon on Monday of last week where the Chris Hayes-ridden 80/1 chance Leblon Queen landed the seven and a half-furlong median sires series maiden for trainer Adrian Murray.

Owned by Giselle De Aguiar, the debutante raced up with the pace under Shanagolden jockey Hayes and led a furlong out to beat Joseph O'Brien’s gambled-on 2/1 chance Green Soul, which flew home from the middle of the pack, by a diminishing neck.

It’s early days in the season but Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce is the pacesetter in the apprentice championship and he gained his seventh success of the term when taking the three-year-old handicap over the same distance on the Kevin Smith-trained Gangsta Man.

He made much of the running on the 6/1 chance and the partnership comfortably held the Diego Dias-trained 22/1 shot Northern Attitude by half a length at the line. Joyce was first into the winners’ enclosure to congratulate his fellow Limerick native Terry Casey after he rode his first winner on the Michael Mulvany-trained Duke Of Leggagh.

Casey, from Southill, got the 3/1 chance to the front inside the final furlong to beat Dick Donoghue’s 16/1 chance Autocrat by half a length.

Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee was on the mark when taking the 10-furlong median auction race on the Paddy Twomey-trained 7/4 favourite Arouet. The Timothy Ryan-owned three-year-old reversed Cork form with Johnny Murtagh’s 15/8 shot Nautical Flow to win by two lengths.

Chris Hayes’ winner at Killarney on Tuesday last was far easier for everyone to find. He landed the two-mile handicap on the Gordon Elliott-trained Mordor was was returned at odds of 9/2.  The five-year-old was in front passing the two-furlong pole and he scored by a very comfortable two and three-parts of a length from Gavin Cromwell’s 3/1 favourite Robbies Rock.

Hayes landed his third winner of the week when partnering the Noel Meade-trained Tatum to take the 12-furlong handicap at Leopardstown on Friday evening. Ridden by Chris Hayes, the Peerless Partnership-owned 6/1 chance led over a furlong out to beat John McConnell’s 5/2 favourite Chopsticks by a length and three-parts.

Aidan O'Brien sent out three winners at Navan on Saturday where Chris Hayes and Wayne Lordan shared in his success. Hayes was in the saddle as the 7/1 chance Gstaad got up in the dying strides to deny the Lordan-ridden 2/5 favourite True Love, another trained by O’Brien, by three-parts of a length in the opening near six-furlong maiden for two-year-olds.

Lordan went a place better to win the five-furlong maiden for three-year-olds on the 13/8 favourite Seattle. He led inside the final furlong to beat Andy Oliver’s 33/1 shot Sun Soldier by one and a quarter lengths. The 1/2 favourite Scandinavia completed the trainer’s treble and a double for Wayne Lordan in the 10-furlong maiden. He led over two furlongs out and came home a three and three-parts of a length winner from Jessica Harrington’s 8/1 shot Carthusian.

Billy Lee took the five-furlong handicap on Andy Oliver’s The Highway Rat. The 7/2 favourite looked to have loads to do with over a furlong to race but he picked up well to beat the Martin Hassett-trained 14/1 shot Harry’s Hill by a length and a quarter.

The 6/4 favourite Carmers was another winner for Billy Lee and Paddy Twomey when landing the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes. The Ballinrobe maiden winner followed up in some style as he raced to a three-length win over the Adrian Murray-trained 16/1 chance What’s Your Game.

Wesley Joyce landed the €40,000 Royal County Handicap with the Michael Mulvany-trained Sunriseontheboyne. The 22/1 outsider made all the running and gamely held off Johnny Murtagh’s 15/8 chance Dakota Blue by a shorthead with Aidan O'Brien’s 11/10 favourite Light As Air a half a length away in third place.

Upcoming Fixtures

Cork – Tuesday, May 20 (First race 5.15pm)

Gowran Park – Wednesday, May 21 (First race 5.10pm)

Limerick – Thursday, May 22 (First race 5.05pm)

Downpatrick – Friday, May 23 (First race 5.10pm)

Curragh – Friday, May 23 (First race 4.55pm)

Curragh – Saturday, May 24 (First race 1.20pm)

Curragh – Sunday, May 25 (First race 1.20pm)