KATESBRIDGE’s Jerry Cosgrave saddled his first blacktype winner on Monday when Mount Colah justified favouritism in the Thurles Racecourse Supporters Club Chase (Listed).

Ridden as ever by in-form amateur Noel McParlan, the nine-year-old Beneficial gelding overcame a bad mistake at the last fence before beating the 7lbs-receiving Letter Of Credit by one and three-quarters of a length.

“It was absolutely brilliant and long may the run last!” said Jerry who trains the bay for Thomas Walsh, operator of the Bryansford Caravan Park adjacent to Tollymore Forest.

“This is the first horse that Thomas has had in training, his claim to fame before this was buying, and selling, a half-brother to See More Business who, unfortunately, didn’t turn out to be much.

“As he seems to like Thurles, Mount Colah was going to be entered in the Kinloch Brae (Grade 2) next Thursday but the horse has shown us that he is not just ready to run again yet.”

Jerry and Noel had teamed up for success the previous afternoon at the Shillelagh point-to-point in Tinahely where they won the opening five and six-year-olds mares’ maiden with newcomer Margaret’s Rose. The 2010 Millenary bay is out of the unraced Roselier mare Alannah Rose, dam previously of the four-time winner and Listed-placed chaser Doctor Linton.

From the family of The Proclamation and Donnas Palm and bred locally by Victor and Margaret Reid, Margaret’s Rose is one of two mares being trained by Cosgrave on behalf of Billy Murphy, head of the Intersky Racing syndicate.

The other is the Beneficial seven-year-old Fair Ethel who, on her only start to date for connections, won the mares’ maiden at Kirkistown in late November under McParlan.

Jerry currently has 20 horses riding out but many of them have just turned four and, as he is in no hurry with them, most of these will not run until the autumn at the earliest.

The trainer isn’t the only member of his family enjoying good fortune as his nephew, jockey Pat Cosgrave, has been in excellent form of late and, up to and including Wednesday, had ridden five winners in England since Christmas.