ERIC McNamara took the Listowel Harvest Festival by storm with a five-timer last year, and he’s assembled another strong team - approximately 20-strong - to return to the Kingdom over the coming seven days.

The three-time Guinness Kerry National-winning trainer has four entries in the mix for the 2025 Listowel highlight on Wednesday, including a trio of eye-catching recruits from other yards.

Dual Grade 3 winner and 2022 Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up French Dynamite joined the Rathkeale, Co Limerick yard for €40,000 in May and is set to make his stable debut for new owner Shane Carmody off a mark of 144.

It remains to be seen if last season’s Kim Muir fourth Weveallbeencaught (bought from Nigel Twiston-Davies for £40,000 in May) and/or Pertemps Qualifier winner Supreme Gift (changed hands for £34,000 out of Henry Daly’s yard at the same Goffs UK sale) will manage to get a run at the foot of the weights at this stage. Both look potentially useful recruits for major handicaps throughout the season regardless.

The yard’s other entry in the €200,000 feature is in-form veteran Embittered, who took advantage of a falling mark when bolting up at Killarney last month, but is also declared to run in the Kerry Dairy Ireland Handicap Chase (4.58) on Sunday.

McNamara told The Irish Field: “It looks like French Dynamite will be the only one to get in, but if all four are getting a run in the Kerry National, they’ll all go. French Dynamite is in great form, I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s one I’m really looking forward to running. He’s in good shape and seems to be working very well, so we’re hopeful he goes there with a good chance.

“On their best form, Weveallbeencaught and Supreme Gift would have chances in their own right. The handicapper had given Embittered a chance before he won at Killarney and then gave him a fair whack back. Did he improve 9lb in one race? I’m not sure. I thought Killarney was a weak race. He’ll have his chance on Sunday.”

On how he has come to source his big-race hopes, he added: “We got the likes of French Dynamite, Weveallbeencaught and Supreme Gift from other yards at horse-in-training sales, and that’s kind of how we’ve gone with buying, because we’ve had a bit of luck down that route before.

Smart recruitment

“When you look at what’s required to buy some of the nicer horses at the major store sales, and then they can take a long time to run... Owners don’t really want to wait any more. You have your share of disappointing ones from those big store sales too.”

McNamara has three other runners on Sunday and will be looking forward to unleashing some of his 2024 Harvest Festival winners later next week.

He said: “Burren View makes his debut for us in a maiden hurdle (3.58) on Sunday and we’re hoping for a nice run. Cocovic is going up in distance in the same race and I think he’ll get the trip. There are a couple of decent types in there, but he’s very consistent and I expect him to be really competitive.

“We also run Glitz And Glamour on Sunday [in the Listowel Bloom Feeds Irish EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle at 3.58] and I think she’s still improving after her win at Sligo. The longer trip should be to her advantage and she’s in great shape.”

On his wider team for the week, McNamara added: “It will be very hard to repeat what we did last year, but we’ve got some nice horses with chances. We could have around 20 for the week. Mount Ferns and Ifitwasme will go back for the races they won at the meeting last year. They should have great chances, with a bit of luck.

“L’ Evangeliste is another we’re looking forward to in the [Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF] Auction Maiden Hurdle (2.50) on Thursday. There are a couple of decent types entered up, but our horse will love the soft ground and is working particularly well.”