Limerick racing connections in top form ahead of Punchestown Festival

KNOCKLONG trainer John Gleeson won the two-mile handicap hurdle with 12/1 shot Jack Holiday at Tipperary Racecourse on Tuesday last.

Pulled-up in a handicap chase at Tramore only two days earlier, Ballingarryjockey Philip Byrnes got a better tune out of the nine-year-old on his return to the smaller obstacles as he beat the Eoin McCarthy-trained Rathnaleen Kal by a length and a half.

Perhaps an easier winner to find was the Michael McDonagh-trained Positive Thinker which took the near three-mile handicap chase under Sean O'Keeffe. The 9/4 favourite challenged Eugene O'Sullivan’s Earths Furies over the final fence and battled well to win by a neck in the trainer’s own colours.

Meanwhile, Ray Barron gave County Waterford trainer Declan Queally his second winner of the week as Desert Heather took the near three-mile handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan on Thursday last.

Owned and bred by Harry Gettings, the seven-year-old eased clear under the Kilmallock amateur rider between the final two hurdles and came home a nine-length winner from Gordon Elliott’s Townhill Penny at odds of 7/1.

Aine O'Connor took the mares’ bumper on the Anthony McCann-trained Final Decision. A 3/1 chance in the colours of the Hasson Syndicate, the four-year-old held of the challenge of Willie Mullins’ 6/5 favourite River Tara by half a length.

Milltown Malbay trainer Danny Howard landed a 33/1 winner as Likable Chancer took the two-mile five-furlong handicap chase at Tramore on Monday. In the colours of owner Annette Daffy, the nine-year-old recorded his first success when beating the Eoin Doyle-trained 9/4 favourite Ardera Ru by two and three-parts of a length, a first winner over jumps for jockey Danny Gilligan who has six winners on the Flat to his name.

Newmarket-On-Fergus owner/trainer Aengus King won the eight-furlong handicap at Cork on Friday with the six-year-old Miss Cunning. Ridden by Jessica O’Gorman, the 12/1 chance led after only two furlongs and held off the challenge of the Denise Foster-trained A Shin Undine to score by three-parts of a length.

It was a fourth riding success for the winning jockey. Billy Lee gave trainer Henry de Bromhead his first winner of the 2023 Flat season as 9/2 chance Matt Connor won the three-year-old handicap over 10 furlongs. The 9/2 chance was in front with two furlongs to race and held on to score by a neck from the Joseph O'Brien-trained Rattle And Hum.

Upcoming Fixtures

Punchestown – Tuesday, April 25 (First Race 3.40pm)

Punchestown – Wednesday, April 26 (First Race 3.40pm)

Punchestown – Thursday, April 27 (First Race 3.40pm)

Punchestown – Friday, April 28 (First Race 3.40pm)

Punchestown – Saturday, April 29 (First Race 2.35pm)

Sligo – Sunday, April 30 (First Race 2.15pm)