THE Grade 3 feature of Limerick’s Sunday card was the Boyle Sports JT McNamara Munster National Handicap Chase, won in facile fashion by Kings Hill (11/1).
The PNT Partnership’s gelding came out of the pack to hunt down the long-time leader Anyway and was going best when he was left clear at the second last. Danny Gilligan drove him out to account for Littlefoot (12/1) by 10 lengths.
Trainer Paul Gilligan said: “Any race is good to win, but when you’re winning these races, it is extra special. It wasn’t a nice way to win with Anyway (who took an ill-fated fall) falling though.
“It is good for Paul Lyons, his co-owner who is in Cyprus today, is important for the breeder Jimmy Lawler, from Kilkenny, and we bought the horse from Tony Costello. We have good supporters in the yard.
“Danny has only arrived back from riding in Far Hills in America last night, so fair play to him. It is always better when your own lads are riding these winners. He is a better horse racing right-handed and my dream would be to win a Galway Plate, so we’ll look at that next year.”
Some compensation
Mark Molloy, who trained the runner-up in the feature race, scored with his only other runner on the card, carrying the colours of his wife Jennifer Upton-Murphy. Placed just once previously from 12 starts, Beckistine (4/1) bagged a first success on his 13th attempt when landing the Limerick Show Handicap Hurdle under Mark Walsh, scoring by four lengths from Boston Rajj.
Molloy reported: “I’ve always liked him, but he was upsides Bowensonfire when falling here some years ago and I don’t know if it hurt him mentally or physically. Physically, he is only starting to develop.
“He ran on a bit at Listowel the last day and it is all about getting him going forward and enjoying it. It is great to have him back and he is made to jump a fence.”
THE Sam Curling-trained Miners Bridge (11/4f) completed a hat-trick in the €50,000 STL Logistics Handicap Chase over two miles and three furlongs. The CKC Syndicate-owned nine-year-old moved past the long-time leader at the second last and was kept up to his work by Philip Enright to beat the rallying El Champo (11/1) by a length.
Curling acknowledged: “This race has been my plan, as he has always had a lot of ability. That ground is as quick as he wants. I’ll target a decent handicap chase in the spring now, and he might sneak into the two-and-a-half-mile novice handicap chase at Cheltenham in March.
“The lads (Ross Keohane and jockey-valets Mike and Liam Cleary) have stuck by him, as he has had many problems. I’m delighted for them.”
Beautiful chase bow
The Tom Cooper-trained Amen Kate (8/1) made a successful start to her chasing career as she accounted for her three rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase over two miles and three furlongs.
Under Daniel King, the Ciaran Mooney and John Ryan-owned mare led before two out and found plenty under pressure to fend off the staying-on Future Prospect (3/1) by half a length.
“That was beautiful,” Cooper enthused. “She is not over-big but had a lot of schooling done and Jack Kennedy, who rode her last season, always said she’d be better over fences.
“There’s a mares’ novice for her in Cork in December and, being so well-bred, we’ll look for more blacktype now.”
Kid collects for loyal owner
PHILIP and Charles Byrnes kept up their strong form as A Boy The Kid (3/1) made all in the Irish Wire Products Maiden Hurdle over two miles and 125 yards. The inexperienced hurdles debutant stretched the field out before the fourth hurdle. Owned by Barry Healy, he faced a challenge from Global Submission (10/11 favouri) before the last; however, he pulled away to win by two lengths.
Charles Byrnes reported: “He had a couple of good runs in bumpers, but had niggly issues since and was left off for the summer. He has always shown plenty. He’ll have learned plenty today, so hopefully will improve.
“Myself and Barry Healy go back a long time and we won a Kerry National together with Alfa Beat.”
Well-deserved win
Willie Mullins’ Kimi De Mai (13/8) took the PWC Mares’ Maiden Hurdle over two miles and 125 yards. Paul Townend produced the six-year-old with her challenge after the second last and the Siobhan Madden-owned mare led at the last and kept on well to score by two and a quarter lengths from Brickfield Belle (4/7 favourite).
Townend commented: “I thought she was home and hosed in Roscommon and couldn’t believe we got beaten. Today, I was conscious to take a lead and Darragh (O’Keeffe) was able to bring us to the last, and my mare galloped out to the line.
“It is nice to get a win on the board with her. I don’t know if she would be in love with winter ground.”
Landmark success
Amateur jockey Jessica Stokes registered a fitting first racecourse winner on the day, landing the John Thomas McNamara Series (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle on her family’s own Fenway Park (25/1). Initially held up in mid-field, the Malinas gelding challenged from the third last, led at the final flight and scored readily by 10 lengths from Duce Bigalow (13/8f).
Her father and winning trainer, Nicky Stokes led up Fenway Park, who races in his wife Anna’s colours, and a delighted jockey Stokes reported: “I’m at home working full-time and this is great for dad too, as he puts in a lot of work.
“We put cheekpieces and a tongue-tie back on, which worked. We knew he’d stay well and going down to the last he pricked his ears. I thought coming over the last, that all I had to do was jump it and to get over the line in front was brilliant. Hopefully, I’ll continue to have more fun doing this now.”