GARY Carroll was the man to follow at the Listowel June Bank Holiday meeting, riding three winners on Saturday and making it five in all on Sunday.

Mary The Priest set the ball rolling for him, breaking smartly and making most of the running in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.

Carrying the colours of Mrs Patricia Mullane, the well backed 9/2 chance had one and three quarter lengths to spare over newcomer Scorchio.

“She is a filly that is in a hurry in the preliminaries and in the aftermath but relaxes better in her races. She is improving all the time and we like her,” said winning trainer Joseph Murphy.

Carroll completed an opening race double when the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Warrior Brave landed a gamble (33/1 into 9/2) in the following Pat Smullen Handicap. Front-running tactics were again adopted successfully on the Eleanora Kennedy owned five-year-old.

Those that joined in on the plunge had few anxious moments as the Twilight Son gelding came home three and quarter lengths clear of Coumshingaun. O’Sullivan reported: “His owner Eleanora Kennedy came in from New York to see this horse run but he is a horse who had been driving us mad and frustrating us.

“We’ve got trips to Royal Ascot and Bahrain last winter with him so he has been a great fun horse although we were probably ceding to that. He jumped and travelled really well today and loved it in front.”

Joseph Murphy completed a personal double when providing Carroll with win number three courtesy of Grey Leader in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Race.

Owned by Tony Auld, the grey had to work hard in order to land odds of 11/4 by half a length.

“He is getting better all the time and fast or soft ground makes no difference to him,” said the winning trainer. “He will have the Galway Mile in mind or a three-year-old-only handicap at the festival.

“He is an improving one, he came through the gap well today and will be a good horse. We just leave things to Gary (Carroll) as it is like playing ‘25’ - you can win with a bad card if you play it well.”

WINEMAKER gave Brazilian Diego Diaz his first winner since taking out a licence when landing the Shay Rooney Handicap in the trainer’s own colours.

The 13/2 chance led over a furlong out, keeping on strongly to win by three lengths under Gavin Ryan.

“That’s my first winner and my second runner and my other runner finished second last week,” Diaz said. “I received my licence a month ago and have been in Ireland for 20 years, doing breeze-up horses. It was a good feeling and nice to have the first winner.”

Ryan completed a double in the John Thomas McNamara Handicap when the Thomas Gibney trained Drop The Dip landed a plunge from 20/1 into 18/5f.

Making virtually all, the Alberta Capital Ltd-owned filly had two and a quarter lengths in hand of the staying on Amemri. Damian Conway, of owners Alberta Capital, reported: “It is job done and we’re delighted.

“It was a low graded race and she had come into a bit of form at home recently. Tom was hoping with the improvement in the ground that she might just win. She liked the ground; it was nice and safe and it was straightforward.”

RONAN Whelan rode his third winner of the week for Jessica Harrington when overcoming a wide draw to take the Anglo Printers Remembering John H. Kierans Fillies and Mares Maiden on 10/1 chance Satin.

Owned by the Kellys, the Irish Oaks entrant stayed on powerfully to win by four and three quarter lengths.

“The Harrington team obviously thought a lot of her to run her in a listed race last year and she was ready to start off today,” said Whelan. “I spoke to Shane (Foley, stable jockey) and he said she was a nice filly who will improve from today. I’m very grateful for the chances and to everybody who fills me in on these horses.”

Fernao (8/11f) justified short odds when readily landing the concluding Oliver Broderick Maiden.

The Willie McCreery-trained colt headed Maggie And Me over a furlong out, keeping on strongly under Billy Lee.

“I’m delighted with that and he is a work in progress,” said McCreery. “He is a lovely little horse but isn’t the sharpest. He learned from the last day and is learning in every bit of work he does.

“He is a lovely horse and I like the way he is learning and improving. He is very well bred but needs to continue learning his trade and will go for handicaps now. He only came to me late-on last year and I’m delighted to have a winner for Ballylinch Stud.”