A MEMORABLE 2021 for Paddy Twomey still had time to yield another nice prospect for the trainer as Show Of Stars progressed from an encouraging first run to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over a mile.

The two-year-old daughter of Showcasing, who is jointly owned by Martin Schwartz and Paul and Charles O’Callaghan, was returned a well-backed 8/13 favourite and Billy Lee produced her to lead with over a furlong to run.

Once she got to the front, Show Of Stars struck to her task in likeable fashion to defeat chief rival Maeve Of Connaught by a length and a quarter.

“She had a good debut run in Killarney on ground she wouldn’t have liked and all of ours come forward plenty from their first start,” said Twomey. “The second had good form and there were plenty in it with good form. Next year I think she’s good enough to run in stakes company, probably in an Oaks trial rather than a Guineas trial.”

Ecstatic result

Earlier it was the turn of the colts in the Irish EBF-sponsored two-year-old mile maiden and this fell to the Joseph O’Brien-trained In Ecstasy (12/1 - 6/1).

The White Birch Farm-owned son of Caravaggio won a barrier trial here in August and showed his unplaced debut run at Gowran Park the following month to be all wrong.

He produced a gritty effort under Dylan Browne McMonagle entering the last furlong and he fought on well to score by half a length from Alooqaal with the 150/1 shot Atlantic Island running a huge race for third.

“He was a little bit sluggish away from the gates but I had a wide draw and I had plenty of time to get him wound up,” said the winning jockey.

“He stayed at it well and battled well when they came to him. He’s been gelded since his first start which has definitely brought out plenty of improvement in him.”

Speeded up

Another horse who went two years without a win was No Speed Limit but Patrick McKeena’s charge got his turn once more in the 45-65 rated six-furlong handicap. The 3/1 favourite was going nicely in the front rank for Wayne Lordan early in the straight and when he came under strong pressure he knuckled down well to defeat Pillar by a head.

The winner is owned by the trainer’s son Conor who won an All Ireland Football medal with Tyrone this year.

No Speed Limit has run 20 times this year and certainly deserved to get his turn having filled the runner-up spot twice here in recent weeks.

The capable Ger O’Leary inmate Newgirlintown (11/4) notched up the fourth win of her career in the 45-70 rated mile-and-a-half handicap.

Champion jockey Colin Keane produced her with a powerful surge on the outer which carried her clear of the field inside and she reached the line one and three-quarter lengths ahead of the 6/4 favourite No Trouble. She could now go hurdling.

Freescape returns with a rattle to win again

THE race of the night looked to be the BetVictor Casino Rated Race and it provided the David Marnane stalwart Freescape (9/2) with a welcome change of luck as he bagged his first victory in just under two years.

On his return from a break, the six-year-old shaped up well to take second in a handicap here earlier in the month and he coped well as he dropped back from a mile to seven furlongs.

Oisin Orr’s mount had it all to do entering the last couple of furlongs but finished with quite a rattle and got on top as the line loomed to defeat Sister Lola by a neck.

Freescape is owned by the City Equine Syndicate and McGettigans Management Services. This victory was Oisin Orr’s first since a fall at Naas in September left him on the sidelines for seven weeks.

A big Buzz for Dowling

IT was a night to remember for Naas-based trainer Thomas Dowling who sent out his first winner with his first runner when Mullacash Buzz sprang a 66/1 upset under Danny Sheehy in the 45-70 rated three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs.

The Martin Flinter-owned gelding hadn’t shown much on his first six starts but turned in a revelatory effort in a first-time tongue tie as he launched a steady run on the inner from the turn-in to get home by a head from Sunset Nova.

“He goes well enough at home and we thought he was better than a 46-horse but we didn’t expect that in a million years and we’re over the moon.

“We’re a small operation, we only have a handful of horses, and it’s nice to start things off on the right foot,” reported Dowling who has seven horses under his care at present.

Comer double

Owner-trainer Luke Comer has his string in great shape at present and he bagged a double in conjunction with Chris Hayes which came in both divisions of the 45-65 rated handicap over an extended 10 furlongs.

The first leg of the brace came when Clueless Hill outpointed his stablemate and 11/10 favourite Dr Patrick.

A winner at Navan a couple of runs ago, Clueless Hill headed the front-running market leader early in the last furlong and contained that rival’s rally by a neck.

Scarlet’s success

Half an hour later it was the turn of the Hayes-ridden Scarlet Seymour who turned out in great shape for her first run since April to score at 22/1 and add to the handicap success she recorded at Bellewstown last year.