Dream return for Carmody
Having renewed his trainer’s licence after a seven-year break, Carmody now trains a small string for English owner Andrew Tinkler in Johnny Murtagh’s yard on the Curragh.
And it was fitting that Tinkler, and his partner Alison, were present to see Miss Mediator, in the frame in six of her seven starts for Richard Hannon last season and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, land the spoils at the expense of Eddie Lynam’s pair Translator and Atmospheric High.
An elated Carmody declared: “That was fabulous. A great start. I’m delighted to train a winner for Andrew. The filly had done enough at home and we felt she’d appreciate stepping-up to a mile.”
The Carmody/ Tinkler/ Murtagh combination failed to double-up with the ex-Michael Dods-trained Rasputin in the www.dundalkstadium.com Claiming Maiden and joint-favourite Vassaria in the Rambo By Horseware Ireland Handicap, won by Samollie.
Rasputin failed to cope with odds-on favourite Atticus Finch, which gained a belated and deserved win under Wayne Lordan, a performance summed up, in typical style, by his trainer Eddie Lynam: “Goodbye starter, hello judge!”
Runner-up in his last three starts here, Atticus Finch made all to score by three and a quarter lengths, his trainer adding: “He’s been hitting the crossbar and has a high enough rating — he couldn’t get into a handicap here at this time of year (off a mark of 78). But it has worked out and he won well.”
It was a night to remember for teenager Megan Carberry, a cousin of Paul, Nina and Philip and a former champion of the pony-racing circuit, who savoured her first racecourse success on board the Niall Madden-trained Shake The Bucket. 14/1 winner of the Winter Racing At Dundalk Apprentice Handicap.
Megan (18) is apprenticed to Ger Lyons and, unlucky earlier on Tsar Paul, kept Shake The Bucket going well to foil Johnnys Legacy by a neck.
Declan McDonogh, who spent two months in Singapore before his recent wedding, registered his first win on home soil since October when An Saighdiur took the six furlong handicap.
