RACING was held behind closed doors at Limerick last Sunday where a pair of graded races were decided on an eight-race card with no cheer.

The feature was the Grade 2 Charleville EBF Mares’ Novice Chase which was won by Cheltenham Festival victors Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with 2/5 favourite Salsaretta in a dramatic race.

Eight ran in the €50,000 contest and while second-favourite Tintangle held a two-length lead jumping the second last fence, she pecked badly on landing and unseated her rider, Luke Dempsey. This left the chasing Salsaretta to ease home the 11-length winner from Ask Mary.

Winning jockey Townend said: “We got the rub of the green again and I know I didn’t have to do anything from then (the second last) home but I stayed going better than I was probably going to.

“There would definitely have been a race of it and it could have been down to a good jump after that.”

The Grade 3 Kerry Group EBF Shannon Spray Mares’ Novice Hurdle saw the Mark Fahey-trained Well Set Up gain a poignant win under jockey Ricky Doyle.

Fahey, a farrier by trade and who has six horses in training, later reported: “Her owner/breeder Jean Corrigan passed a month ago and the whole family would be proud. Jean used to get great craic out of her and was proud of her. It is a good day for her daughter Emily and her husband Des but it’s a pity Jean isn’t here.

“Her next plan is to go in-foal, but she might go for the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 1 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse. We’ll see what the connections want to do, but she has been absolutely brilliant. We are thinking about sending her to Getaway.”

Cherif gets Elliott on the scoreboard

TINTANGLE’s trainer Gordon Elliott did have a winner on the afternoon as his Cherif De L’isle landed the Follow Limerick On Twitter Handicap Hurdle.

The Davy Russell-partnered gelding carried form-figures of 33332 into the race and gained a second career win, his first for Elliott, when justifying 3/1 favouritism and beating The Ballyboys by four lengths.

Racing began with the Follow Limerick On Facebook Hurdle which was won by Cafe Con Leche, who bypassed the Cheltenham Festival and scored for owner/trainer Denis Hogan.

Hogan later reported: “It was a blessing in disguise that he didn’t get into Cheltenham as I would have ran him, and he had an easy race there so it’s great that we’re here and great that racing is on.

“He will be for flat for the summer. He is a big horse and I wouldn’t want to run him on quick ground, but down the line fences will be his job too.”

The biggest-price winner on the day was 28/1 chance Ballymacaw who landed the Hospitality Packages Limerick Maiden Hurdle for trainer John Halley and amateur jockey David Kiely.

Halley later commented: “He is a lovely horse with plenty ability and has done it now.

“He is a big strong horse and he was crying out for that trip. He’ll go chasing and we’ll see what happens.

“David comes in and rides out. He has ridden point-to-point winners for me but that’s his first racecourse winner for me. He is a very good rider and doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”

Love wins in the stewards’ room

THERE was an amended result to the Follow Limerick Racecourse Handicap Chase as first-past-the-post Killisk Ben Rose was demoted to second place behind Enduring Love.

Killisk Ben Rose, under Mark Enright, made all the running in her ‘win’ but edged right on the run-in, hampering Enduring Love who had little racing room along the running rail in the closing stages. Half a length separated the pair at the line but the stewards subsequently reversed the placings, presenting the race to the Philip Rothwell-trained Enduring Love and jockey Adam Short. The stewards took no further action.

The Book Online Beginners Chase was won by the Oliver McKiernan-trained Chief Of Police, who recorded a first career win, ridden by Barry Browne.

McKiernan and Browne have proven a formidable combination this season with the trainer notching his 13th win this season, with nine of those wins ridden by Browne.

There was Cheltenham form on display in the concluding Dunraven Arms Hotel-sponsored bumper with Tim Hyde’s On Eagles Wings winning under the trainer’s nephew Harry Swan.

The son of Flemensfirth chased home Festival Bumper winner Ferny Hollow at Fairyhouse last month, and following the race Hyde said: “It just shows you how good that horse who won in Cheltenham is.

“He likes soft ground and will be a nice horse to go jumping. I don’t think he’ll run again in a bumper and will probably go jumping next season, he jumps really well.”