TRAINER Philip Rothwell landed the featured €50,000 Charlie Chute Memorial Handicap Chase at Listowel on Saturday, with the Tiernan Power Roche-partnered 11/2 chance El Champo.
Making most of the running, the Oliver Barden-owned gelding was headed on the run-in before rallying close home to land a half-length success.
Rothwell said: “That win is very special and, I keep saying it, but Oliver and Marie (Barden) are amazing owners to me. Their appetite for jumps racing is just incredible and they are a lovely family.
“His jumping was brilliant today but hadn’t always been that way. Simon (Torrens) gave him an unbelievable ride around Tramore the last day where the fences are smaller, and I think he got a lot of confidence from it.
“When I tell Tiernan (Power Roche) to pop off and make the running it is scary, as he is so positive and so accurate over a fence. He is an extraordinarily talented young fella, so I’m delighted to have both him and Simon on our own little team.”
One better
Runner-up on his stable debut for Emmet Mullins last time, Rising Dust went one better when landing a tidy gamble in the Kathleen Walsh Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Available at 5/2 early doors, the seven-year-old was supported into 5/4 favourite to score for owner Donal O’Connor.
Always to the fore under jockey Donagh Meyler, the gelding led three out, before powering clear for an eight-length victory. Mullins said: “He was off the track for over a year before his Kilbeggan run the last day, so was entitled to improve, although they don’t always do it. An 80/1 chance beat us fair and square, so we had no complaints.
“Earlier this week, it was nice to be able to tell Donal that I thought he had improved and his homework had gone up another grade. He galloped through the line strong, is going the right way and just wants a true-run race. He seems to have one gear and is fit and well now.”
GRANN’S Boy (11/1) left behind last month’s Galway disappointment when landing the M.J. Carroll ARRO Handicap Hurdle for trainer Harry Rogers, jockey Darragh O’Keeffe and owners the Nap Racing Syndicate.
The five-year-old, who had won at the Fairyhouse Easter festival in April prior to his Galway run, resumed winning ways, beating Sysko by two lengths.
Rogers said “His Galway run was over two miles where his owners wanted a runner, and things went wrong, having made mistakes. He just wasn’t right after the race so we gave him time and he is back to himself.
“There’s no doubt the further he goes, the better he is and while he also was in the three-mile hurdle earlier this week, I felt he had too much weight for a young horse. He’ll stay three miles and is a big horse who will also jump a fence. He is a nice horse to have.”
That Danny Feeling won the final race of the 2025 Listowel Festival when staying on strongly under Alan O’Sullivan to win the Listowel Printing Works Slan Abhaile (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.
Sent off a 9/2 chance here, the In The Hazard Syndicate-owned winner headed Parnell Street over two furlongs out, keeping on well to score by one and three quarter lengths.
Trainer Terence O’Brien said: “He had been very consistent all along. Alan’s 7lb claim was a big help. Alan was very impressed, he said he settled and was very easy on himself and travelled well the whole way. He said he wasn’t doing a stroke in front.”
“He was due to go over hurdles but his jumping was terrible and I don’t know why. We did some more schooling with him and were going to enter him over hurdles but, as it turned out, this week’s maidens were probably some of the hottest races here.
“I bought his dam, who is out of a sister to Synchronised, but never got to race her and then I bred this horse, before selling the mare. The syndicate are all good friends of mine so this is a great result.”
Blue Waters on the move
THE Gordon Elliott-trained Blue Waters made a winning start to life over jumps when easily landing the opening John Lynch Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
Successful in a Ballinrobe bumper in August, the Edelle Logan and Orlagh Gallagher-owned filly returned to that same track to finish second in a winners’ race earlier this month. Having her first start over flights here, the easy-to-back 3/1 chance (from 9/4) was always prominent under Jack Kennedy before coming through to lead two out.
Asserting on the run to the last, the filly stretched clear on the run-in to win by eight and a half lengths from Louiescall.
Kennedy reported: “She is a lovely, well-bred filly and while she doesn’t show you a whole pile at home, she is a different horse when she gets to the track.
“She made a few novicey little mistakes today but did it well. She will brush up on her jumping and hopefully it will be onwards and upwards.”
Doubled up
Elliott and Kennedy quickly doubled up as Kainsbourg held on close home to win the Allman Contracts Novice Hurdle.
A winner of both his starts in France, the J.P. McManus-owned gelding had taken five runs before getting off the mark in this country at Tramore in May.
However, having failed to back that up when beating only one home at Roscommon last time, the five-year-old was sent off a 12/1 chance here.
Open book
Prominent throughout, Kainsbourg led at the last before holding the late run of Strong Link by half-a-length. Frank Berry reported: “We have tinkered with his wind, he is an open book and I think the slow pace suited him. He was able to kick and was okay today on that ground. He has basically been a disappointing horse so it is nice to get a win with him.”
Owner J.P. McManus went on to record a double as the Enda Bolger-trained Pride Of Place romped away with the John & Terry Moriarty Memorial (Q.R.) Handicap Chase. Runner-up on his last two starts, the six-year-old appreciated the test of stamina on this rain softened ground as he registered a second career success.
Stretching
Travelling strongly under Josh Halford, the 16/5 favourite led after the last (usual three out), before stretching clear over the last half-mile for a bloodless 12-length victory.
Bolger said: “That was sweet, as he gave away a lot of weight to the winner at Killarney the last day and today I was scared when all the fences came out, but he didn’t need them.
“He stays well. I have second claim on Josh. He had ridden two point-to-point winners for me so this is great.”