McNamara and Elliott share the honours in Limerick

In-form local trainer Eric McNamara and Gordon Elliott shared the training honours in Limerick last night.

McNamara brought his tally to four winners in a fortnight thanks to the victories of Italian Riviera in the irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap Hurdle and Irish Bulletin in the McMahon’s Munster Mile (Amateur) Handicap Hurdle.

“He’s not the most genuine horse in the world and has been disappointing,” said McNamara after Italian Riviera’s win, adding: “We had to be patient with him. And he’ll go chasing sooner rather than later.”

Italian Riviera was the second leg of a double for Jack Kennedy on a night when his brother Paddy was also among the winners.

And it was Finny Maguire, having his first ride for McNamara, who partnered Irish Bulletin to victory, prompting the winning trainer to say: “It’s always lovely to have a winner for JP (McManus). And I hope to win a chase with this fellow before the end of the summer.”

Jack Kennedy provided his boss Elliott with the first leg of his double when justifying odds-on favouritism in the opening maiden hurdle.

Elliott was on the mark again when debutant and favourite An Caisteal Nuadh landed the bumper, providing a birthday winner for Nina Carberry, who oozed confidence on the five-year-old Scorpion gelding.

It was the turn of Paddy Kennedy in the Griffith College Limerick Mares Novice Hurdle as Msmilan, trained by Jessica Harrington, outpointed Genesta.

And, in the chase action, Paul Townend partnered Thanks For Tea to victory for Edmund Kent in the ‘mares beginners’ while Heron Heights, ridden by Andrew Lynch, provided another winner for Henry de Bromhead (four in eight days), capturing the Limerick GAA Rated Novice Chase at the expense of Beau Et Sublime.