FRESH from joining an elite group of Irish-based riders to reach 1,000 career winners earlier in the week at Gowran Park, Shane Foley continued his fine start to the 2024 campaign when partnering promising newcomer Birdman to victory in the mile-and-a-half Cork maiden on Friday.

A total of four winners on the week - three coming for Birdman’s trainer Jessica Harrington - helped the multiple classic-winning rider break through the 1,000 marker, with 967 of those achieved in Ireland and the remainder spread between Britain, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia and America.