EOIN McCarthy, leading trainer at the recent Listowel Festival, registered his first feature race success at Limerick on Saturday, when his progressive Shadow Paddy (5/4 favourite) landed the Listed Tote Guarantee, Never Beaten Novice Hurdle for the Complete Package Syndicate.

Successful at this course in May and again at last month’s Listowel fixture, Shadow Paddy was today ridden by Simon Torrens who improved the five-year-old to lead at the second last, before scoring by three and a quarter lengths from Ballykinlar.

McCarthy commented: “That is our first listed horse and is my biggest win. It mightn’t have been the strongest race but it still took winning, it is a lovely pot and the syndicate are enjoying it. He is a big raw horse and is improving all the time so the dream is still alive.

“He is learning about the game and once he stays in one piece, he has a bright future. He won’t go on winter ground so we’ll put him away now until next spring.

“The syndicate are mad to travel (to Britain) but it was me all along who was holding back. We can now start about thinking about the likes of the Aintree Festival and he has such a laid-back way of racing that you could aim him at a lot of different places.”

Listed success

One of McCarthy’s west Limerick neighbouring trainers Eric McNamara also bagged listed race success in the Irish EBF Cailin Alainn (Mares) Hurdle with Millstream Lady (7/2).

Ridden by Sean Flanagan, the grey mare was patiently ridden before eventually progressing to lead at the last, before scoring by a half-length from World Of Fortunes.

Regarding Millstream Lady, who carries the colours of her breeder Eamonn Leahy, Seamus O’Riordan and Edward Hayes, McNamara commented: “She is game as a pebble and, my God, does she try. That is a great win for her pedigree and her mother (Shesaportrait) was also a good mare, so this one is turning out to be as good. I’m delighted to win a listed race with her.

“She will go on softer ground so will run away for the winter, and she might run in some of those good mares’ races. She could be picking up prize money all the time in those races, so that’s the road she could go now.”

ENDA Bolger was another trainer to win at his local course, landing the concluding Irish EBF (Mares) INH Bumper with promising mare Samba Train (7/4 favourite), for owner/breeder Sir Francis Brooke and jockey Aine O’Connor. Previously successful in a Listowel bumper in June, Samba Train went the shortest way around racing on cut-up ground and held on well to beat wide-racing Amina by a length and a quarter, with 19 lengths to third-placed Tumbling In.

Bolger reported: “Aine was always confident, rode her positively on the inside and that’s why she rides for me. She executed it great and the mare kept galloping. We’ll sit back on our laurels now for a while but I can’t wait to see her over hurdles. We’ll find a mares’ maiden hurdle next but she doesn’t want the ground too deep, being by Blue Bresil.”

O’Brien domination

Champion flat trainer Aidan O’Brien was out of luck in Ascot’s principal races but won six of Leopardstown’s seven races on Saturday and, at Limerick, his son Joseph O’Brien landed the opening Limerick Show Maiden Hurdle with Talk The Talk (9/4). Ridden by J.J. Slevin, Talk The Talk raced prominently and rallied well on the run-in to score by a length from Starting Fifteen.

Regarding the Munir/Souede-owned winner, Slevin stated: “The Crawfords, who had him previously, had a lot of schooling done with him and I was happy enough with his jumping. The race went pretty straightforward although he jinked at the first hurdle down the back straight. He got the gap up the home straight and I had the horse to go when I wanted. The jump at the last was probably crucial and, once we landed, I knew I had it then.”

Earned praise

The 7lb claimer Michael Kenneally earned praise from trainer John Ryan following Run For The Border’s (10/1) success in the Vision Contracting Maiden Hurdle. Racing for owner/breeder Declan Donohoe, the daughter of Ruler Of The World was anchored in rear here before progressing to eventually lead at the las and score by a length and a half from How’s The Head.

Ryan reported: “She is a nice mare. I had her half-brother Vercingetorix who broke down the day he won, and I could never get him right afterwards. Michael said she rides like a huge mare, she has a big front and is gorgeous. She had been running too keen all along but Michael is well able to grab one back and get one to settle. It was the first really good ride she has got. It wasn’t much of a race but she is one to look forward to.”

MARKET-drifter Matt Connor (2/1 - 9/2) scored a first jumps success in the Master Chefs Classic Handicap Hurdle, as the dual-flat winner scored for trainer Philip Dempsey, jockey Jordan Gainford and owner Adrian Sheils.

Matt Connor edged ahead close home for an all-out neck success over Footstepstoglory with a nose to third-placed Lenjoleur De Palma.

Dempsey reported: “He battled hard and Jordan said the ground was as soft as he’d want it. It was a messy race with the leader (Pahlavi) going off way out in front. He actually jinked approaching the last but he winged it and once Jordan got into him, he finished well. He had a good enough rating for the flat and we’ll look for another goodish ground hurdle race now, but we won’t run him on heavy. There could be a nice handicap in him down the road.

“Adrian (Sheils) is from Birr and is also involved with Killinure Lass, who won for us at Tramore recently, so is having a good time.”

Homebred

Mark Molloy had a pleasing homebred success with Rhythmic Tune (9/1) in the Master Chefs Golden Vale Cup Handicap Hurdle, as the gelding gained a first career success under Daniel King. The winner headed recent Listowel chase winner Gaelic Des Chastys approaching the final flight and finished well to defeat that rival by two lengths.

Owner/trainer Mark Molloy reported: “Rhythmic Tune is from a lovely old family. When I was a child my father bred a very good and related horse Even Melody, and another, Make Melodies, who he had in training with Edward O’Grady. My father isn’t well at the moment so this is a real tonic.

“My horses are flying, thank God, and I think this horse will now go for another handicap hurdle.”