AFTER striking at Newmarket the previous week, Charles Byrnes got off the mark on home soil following his six-month suspension as the trainer’s Run For Oscar dominated the M.J. Carroll Arro Handicap Hurdle which took centre stage on the concluding day of the Listowel Festival.
After winning quite a useful event over a slightly longer trip at Killarney four weeks previously, Run For Oscar was backed into 5/1 co-favouritism under Jack Foley. The Byrnes’ inmate was 5lb higher than when winning last time but he could have won off an appreciably higher rating. He was tanking along turning for home at which stage it looked as though he just needed safe jumps at the last two flights. He negotiated those last two obstacles and went on defeat the former Grade 1-placed juvenile hurdler Wolf Prince by three lengths.
“He gave him a good ride. He held him up three-quarters of the way back and that was the plan, to come there at the second last,” said Byrnes who trains the winner for the Top Of The Hill Syndicate. “Taking 7lb off gives you a chance in these type of races. I’d say Jack won’t be claiming for too long.”
A good week for Peter Fahey at Listowel yielded a third victory for the trainer as Skippin Court (7/2) bagged the John Lynch Memorial Maiden Hurdle over two miles. This four-year-old had finished no worse than fourth in four previous outings this summer and showed here that a mark of 102 might have underestimated his capabilities.
Skippin home
Kevin Sexton’s mount had edged ahead of the favourite Chiricahua nearing the last and when the latter crashed out, Skippin Court stuck to his task well to see off Rodaniche by one and three-quarter lengths. Fahey trains the winner for the Dexys Midnight Runners Syndicate and there could easily be more to come from this gelding.
A Magic day for Barry
as Father Jed delivers
JOHN Ryan left his beloved Listowel with two winners for the week after Father Jed (9/1) gave Cork-born amateur jockey Brian Barry (18) his first success on the racecourse in the John & Terry Moriarty (Q.R.) Handicap Chase over three miles.
The Ryan-owned 10-year-old has hit a rich vein of form lately and was making it three wins from his last four starts as he arrived with a late charge to collar Goodnightngodbless before holding the strong-finishing Hoke Colburn by a neck. This was just a second ride on the track for Barry.
“Today is all about Brian Barry. To get a winner at Listowel for that kid is magic and he gave the horse a great ride. He will be a star of the future,” reflected Ryan.
Classy Impervious
She appealed as being a potentially smart mare when her racecourse debut yielded a maiden hurdle success at Cork in August and Impervious once again looked the part in the Allman Contracts Novice Hurdle.
Under the care of multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Colm Murphy, this daughter of Shantou faced just five rivals but was still at a major disadvantage in terms of experience. Mike O’Connor’s mount overcame that obstacle in likeable style to win this two-and-a-half-mile event by half a length from the 127-rated Ballywilliam Boy.
“I’m delighted with the way she won considering she was keen enough the whole way, and she won probably because she is a very nice filly. She improved from her first run and I think she’ll improve again,” declared Murphy. “Maybe we’ll look towards the mares’ Grade 3 at Down Royal at the end of October.”
Cosmic McCarthy
A feature of this year’s Listowel was the performance of Eoin McCarthy’s string and the Athea-based trainer deservedly got amongst the winners for the second time last week when Cosmic Rock bagged the first division of the 80-102 rated Kathleen Walsh Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
The Tony Carey-owned seven-year-old could only manage eighth on the second day of the meeting but was clearly all the better for his first run since March as he defeated Misty Millie by half a length.
Gary Noonan was on board the seven-year-old who was backed from 25/1 in the morning into 10/1 to take advantage of a step up to two and a half miles.
Cooper win
There was another local success in the other division of that handicap hurdle as Definiteadare (8/1) struck for Tom Cooper and his son Bryan.
The Frank Reynolds-owned and -bred seven-year-old took charge of this race early in the straight and had plenty to spare in defeating Wrong Way Harry by five lengths.
NINE years after he last sent out a winner on the track, Sean Cahill made his mark just two weeks after taking back out his licence as the newcomer Boreen Boy impressed in the Brendan Daly Memorial (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race. Man of the moment Shane Fitzgerald took the mount, who is also owned and bred by his trainer, and from some way out the pair looked to have the three previous winners in the line-up covered.
After being backed from 33/1 into 16/1 on track, Boreen Boy struck the front a quarter of a mile out and looked to have plenty in reserve as he dished out a two-length beating to Cork winner Misty’s Gift.
“He was working well but with a small yard you couldn’t be sure,” reported Cahill. “I have to thank my nephew Joe Condon who does most of the work.”
Henry de Bromhead opened his account at the meeting when Defan (13/2) led home a one-two for the trainer in the Charlie Chute Memorial Handicap Chase over an extended two miles.
The Niall O’Leary-owned five-year-old attracted some decent support to take advantage of a mark of 111 for his handicap chase debut.
He was always up with the pace for Darragh O’Keeffe and he never missed a beat to overcome stablemate Zarkareva by a length.