Course specialist proves no Ordinary Man

Local hero Shay Barry thrilled his supporters with a 47/1 double on Ordinary Man and Days Ahead in Tramore yesterday.

Barry might be one of the veterans of the jockeys’ room, but nobody rides Tramore better and he enjoyed an armchair ride on the Liam Burke-trained course specialist Ordinary Man in the Tramore Racecourse 2012 Special Recognition Award Handicap Hurdle.

Ridden more prominently than before, Ordinary Man travelled strongly throughout, was in front from halfway and romped to a smooth eight lengths win over Neighbourly. Burke commented: “His hurdle form has never been as good as his form over fences, until today. But he’s a better horse around here and I knew he was in good form, even after the hell of a fall he got in Listowel, where he ran a great race. He wants better ground and I told Shay to stay wide all the way.”

Ordinary Man might reappear in Limerick on Sunday, in either the Grade 3 PricewaterhouseCoopers Chase or a handicap hurdle.

Barry completed his double on the Eoin Doyle-trained Days Ahead in the two-mile beginners chase, the five-year-old getting the better of gallant front-runner The Folkes Choice by a neck.

Trainer Doyle, who has a tremendous strike-rate on the track, commented: “This has always been a lucky place for me. This fellow was very unlucky in Downpatrick the last day. Shay said he wasn’t loving that deep ground, but he got through it, He might go for a novice somewhere. He’s still well-handicapped on the flat.”

Trainer Tom Cooper, in bed with a dose of flu, missed seeing his mare Our Girl Lucy land the second beginners chase.

Jumping fluently for the trainer’s son Bryan, Our Girl Lucy, having only her second start over fences, beat Ferris Bueller. The winning rider declared: “Jumping is her game. I was a bit afraid of the ground, but she coped well and jumped great, except for the last.”

Kilmurry Kid, confidently handled by Mikey O’Connor, defied a lengthy absence (without a run since May of last year) to win the handicap chase for trainer John Long, who intends running the three-time point-to-point winner again in an amateur riders’ event at Punchestown next Thursday.

Don’t Tell Pa provided the Mangan family with a memorable win in the Tramore racecourse On Facebook Handicap Hurdle, beating Renoyr convincingly by more than three lengths. The Jimmy Mangan-trained gelding was a ninth winner for his daughter Jane, who declared: “That’s my first winner for the real boss (her mother Mary)!” The winner is likely to run again quickly, at either Fairyhouse tomorrow, or Limerick on Sunday.

Stormy Oscar, ridden by Danny Mullins, for his mother Mag, returned to form when landing the maiden hurdle, holding the late challenge of Cool Klan by a neck while Liz Doyle saddled 25/1 shot Tabac Brun, ridden by Lisa O’Neill, to capture the bumper.