THERE has been plenty of success for Limerick jockeys, trainers and owners on the racing front over recent weeks.
Castlemahon jockey Mark Enright gave trainer Fozzy Stack his sixth winner of the new Flat season as Two Stars landed the six-furlong maiden for three-year-olds at Cork. A 9/1 chance, he led from halfway and came home a length and three-quarters to the good over the Willie Browne-trained Roaming Star.
Ballingarry-based trainer Richard O’Brien landed the concluding bumper at Downpatrick with the 3/1 chance Extrapolation. Ridden by Eoin O’Brien, the Michael and Joan Toomey-owned six-year-old made all the running to beat Gordon Elliott’s 2/1 shot Valsorpresa by ten lengths with Willie Mullins’ 6/5 favourite Surf Club three-parts of a length away in third place.
The father and son team of Eric and Conor McNamara of Rathkeale were winners at Cork where the 8/1 chance Holiday In Kerry took the three-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle. Owned by the Forever Optimists Syndicate, the seven-year-old had good recent runs at Clonmel and Ballinrobe to his name and he recorded his second career success with a two and a half-length win over the Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Kingston Kid.
Billy Lee of Ballingarry enhanced the growing reputation of trainer Natalia Lupini as he won the near six-furlong handicap on Dandyville at Naas. Owned by the Dr J Syndicate, the five-year-old won back-to-back races at Dundalk in November and made a winning return to action when beating the Pat Murphy-trained Craft Irish by a cosy two and a quarter lengths, his sixth career success.
At the same meeting, Chris Hayes (Shanagolden) gave Dermot Weld his first winner of the season when guiding Mashia to success in the concluding eight-furlong fillies’ maiden. A 10/1 chance, the Aga Khan-owned debutante impressed her trainer as she scored by a length and three-parts from the Aidan O’Brien-trained Unless.
Abbeyfeale apprentice Paddy Harnett gave trainer Donnacha O’Brien his third winner of the week and a 1-2 in the race 4/1 chance Amusement narrowly won the concluding 12-furlong handicap at Leopardstown. Although he ended up riding without his irons, Harnett got the three-year-old home by a nose from her stable companion Teutates, another 4/1 shot.
