TRAINER Pat O’Donnell’s Dragon Of Malta was the big attraction to Listowel on Tuesday where the course-specialist landed a famous fifth success at the festival meeting, in the WTW Willis Towers Watson Handicap.

The nine-year-old had scored on consecutive days at the Kerry course last September and, having followed-up with another Monday success this week, was again ridden by Julian Pietropaolo in his bid to become a festival legend.

Chasing leader La La Lucrative, Gzira Syndicate-owned Dragon Of Malta (10/3 favourite) moved to the front over a furlong out and held on gamely to score by a length and a quarter.

In gaining the success, Dragon Of Malta was matching the feat of the Kevin Bell-trained ‘Martin’, who also landed five festival wins between 1970 and 1974.

With the gelding’s rider Peter Keogh on lead-up duty, an emotional O’Donnell stated: “That is five wins at this festival which is an incredible record.

“To see the myriad of people here today is lovely and, win, lose or draw, we’ll be back here again next year.

“Down south, this meeting is our Cheltenham.

“I joked with my daughter Sylvia that if he won again today, that Listowel would have to name a race after him, but she replied, ‘no, it’ll have to be a bar!’.

“It is quite incredible and, while the strict form lads say he needs heavy-heavy-heavy, jockey Shane Foley told us yesterday that it was just the track which suits him.

“We initially hit on Julian to claim 7lb last September, and he definitely gets his fractions right anyway. He knew how the race would pan out and had his homework done. The horse will have an easy week now and it is just a lovely story.”

Group 3 targets

Feature race was the €50,000 Listed Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes, which was won by one of the season’s biggest improvers Meriden (9/4 joint-favourite), for trainer Denis Hogan and jockey Chris Hayes.

The Juddmonte Farms-bred filly, who scored from a rating of just 57 last May, made all the running and finished well to score by a length and three-quarters from Iron Fist.

Hogan reported: “She has been busy with racing, but it was a big drop in grade (from the Matron Stakes).

“It was me who wanted to run as she has been so well at home, and to be fair to Patrick (O’Brien) and Paul (Shanahan), they went along with it.

“This morning, I entered her for a Group 3 at Saint-Cloud in October, so has that entry and an entry in a mares’ sale at the end of December.

“We don’t want to lose her, but if she makes money for her connections, that’s good business.”

Festival regular

Owner Breen White is a festival fan and threw four darts at the Rose Hotel Handicap, winning with his lesser-fancied Platino Bianco (18/1), for joint owner Karena Maxwell and trainer Conor Maxwell.

Ridden by Robert Whearty, the winner set a strong pace and, having gained that good position, held off the faster-finishing runner-up She’s On The Ball by a half-length.

Trainer Maxwell later explained: “It was nice to do it for Breen, who had four runners and I had three of them.

“Robert has won on her in the past and both times I told him to be forceful on her, as at home, nothing can go with her.”

JOCKEY Joey Sheridan and trainer Joseph O’Brien teamed up for a double, beginning with success in the opening SIS Irish EBF Maiden with Loughrea N Roll (10/11 favourite), who improved on a promising Curragh debut to score by a half-length from Speakers Corner.

Regarding the Michael Burke & Ballylinch Stud-owned winner, Sheridan stated: “There was a good rush to the first bend and I didn’t want to be in a battle so early being three-wide and took back.

“It is easy when you are riding a classy horse like him and there is plenty of improvement to come.

“It was probably a group-maiden in which he finished third at the Curragh the last day and had the form in the book.”

Sheridan and O’Brien completed their doubles in the concluding Jet, Peggy & Eamonn O’Carroll Memorial Handicap with Westerberg Ireland’s Count Bezukhov (15/8 favourite).

Carrying top-weight, the Wootton Bassett colt tracked the leaders and having led a furlong out, held off Lord Aus by a neck.

Sheridan said: “He gave the others half a length leaving the stalls, so had to sit and suffer in the early part of the race.

“I didn’t want it to turn into a sprint, so I had to inject some speed into it and he was good and tough in the end. I’d say there is another bit of improvement in him.”

TRAINER David Marnane was on the score sheet with the success of his Letmeentertainyou (25/1) in the MAC Hardware Irish EBF Rated Race.

Ridden by Nathan Crosse, the son of Ebro River was produced from off the pace to score by a length and three-quarters from Romance.

Marnane was represented by assistant Danny O’Connell junior who said: “He didn’t do things right in Down Royal the last day, but got a bit of nicer ground today which suited.

“He was tough and is progressing. Con, Amy and Olivia (Marnane, owners) are hoping to sell him now.”

Morehampton on the mark

Jockey Ben Coen and trainer Johnny Murtagh were on the mark in the Listowel Arms Hotel Handicap with Morehampton (3/1), who registered a second success for his owner Scarlett Mullion.

Held up behind the leaders, Morehampton was produced to lead inside the final furlong and scored by a length and three-quarters from Highbury See See, who met some trouble in-running.

Coen commented: “He jumped, travelled around and handled the track well. He picked up well at the furlong pole and was just doing enough coming up to the line.

“He is a talented horse who has taken a while to get back on track, but that should do his confidence the world of good. Scarlett is a lovely lady and has been patient with this lad this year, so I’m delighted for her.”