West Limerick trainer Eoin McCarthy enjoys Listowel Festival success

ATHEA, Co Limerick trainer Eoin McCarthy is always one to follow at Listowel’s Harvest Festival and while the week was a story of hitting the crossbar on a lot of occasions, he had the horses running well and did get on the board with Well Funded in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle on Monday last.

It was a tight finish but one that gave local pilot Brendan Lyons, who is based with McCarthy, his first track winner, Lyons proving strong in the closing stages to prevail by a neck.

The nip-and-tuck nature of the Flat jockeys’ championship edged in Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee’s direction as the Limerick pilot edged the admirable Mary Salome to a half-length triumph in the Southern Milling & Paul & Vincent Handicap for trainer Andrew Kinirons at Listowel on Tuesday.

Earlier in the card, Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes galvanised the Dermot Weld-trained Tiverton to a belated success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

There was a real family success for the O’Neill family from Quin as qualified rider Paul propelled Tullyhogue Fort to victory in the first split of the Guinness Handicap Hurdle. The winner was trained by Paul’s father John and had been bought by Paul and his first cousin Kevin, with the duo sharing riding out duties.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Roscommon – Monday, September 26 (First Race 1.50pm)

Down Royal – Monday, September 26 (First Race 1.30pm)

Cork – Tuesday, September 27 (First Race 1.25pm)

Bellewstown – Wednesday, September 28 (First Race 2pm)

Bellewstown – Thursday, September 29 (First Race 2.05pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, September 29 (First Race 1.50pm)

Dundalk – Friday, September 30 (First Race 5.25pm)

Gowran Park – Friday, September 30 (First Race 2.07pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, October 1 (First Race 2.17pm)

Killarney – Saturday, October 1 (First Race 1.55pm)

Killarney – Sunday, October 2 (First Race 1.35pm)

Tipperary – Sunday, October 2 (First Race 1.15pm)