Eoin McCarthy and Jody Townened can deliver again on ladies day at Listowel Harvest Festival
FRONT RUNNER: Who's Da Goose and Gary Noonan win the Pat Farrell Memorial Handicap Hurdle in August. Picture: Healy Racing.
Eoin McCarthy saddled a treble on Ladies' Day at last year’s Listowel Harvest Festival and the Limerick trainer can again excel himself at the Kerry venue on Friday.
McCarthy and Jody Townend teamed up to win the MCG Ladies Handicap Hurdle courtesy of Ollie La Ba Ba in 2025 and the pair can prove a winning combination again this year with Who's Da Goose fancied to land the spoils.
The Dartmouth gelding showed little to get excited about in his first three starts but took a big leap forward when making a successful handicap debut at Wexford last month, scoring at odds of 25-1.
A 9lb hike for that success makes this a stiffer test but Who's Da Goose will have gained confidence from winning at Wexford and may be able to follow up.
Stablemate Kingdom Calling may be able to make his presence felt in the Trant Goodwill Stakes Handicap Hurdle, another race won by McCarthy last year, courtesy of Regards To Rose.
Winless in his next 15 starts, Kingdom Calling took advantage of a career-low mark over fences when scoring at Tramore last month. He may be able to show the benefit of that confidence-boosting win here.
The listed Ballymore Handicap Hurdle, the feature race of the day, looks fiendishly competitive but Autumn Twist ought to be in the mix at the finish.
The Denis Hogan-trained five-year-old finished down the field on the Flat at Cork earlier this month but his recent hurdling form is far more encouraging.
A close second to subsequent Galway Hurdle hero Putapoundinthejar in handicap hurdle at Bellewstown in July, he justified 7-2 joint-favouritism in good style at Killarney last month.
This assignment demands further improvement but he may be able to find it.
Friday’s Irish Flat fare comes from Dundalk where UK raider Military Order ought to be hard to beat in the listed BAR 1 Betting Diamond Stakes.
The Frankel colt hasn’t run for 10 months but he brings the strongest form to the table and with the Charlie Appleby team in scintillating form at present, it’ll be a surprise if he fails to deliver to boost Billy Lee’s title prospects.
1.40 Reaching High
2.15 Who's Da Goose (Nap)
2.50 Kingdom Calling
3.25 Autumn Twist (NB)
4.00 Run For The Border
4.30 Gaelic Des Chastys
5.05 The Ocean Queen
5.40 Enniskerry
1.40 Confidence Within
2.15 Freddie Robdal
2.50 Game Phoenix
3.25 Speed For Fun
4.00 Moonshine Girl
4.30 Tippin And Tappin
5.05 Viva Laa Vida
5.40 Davy Crockett
5.30 In The Gloaming
6.00 Initial Blue
6.30 Sensational Filly
7.00 Storm Eric
7.30 Military Order
8.00 Hamiyan
8.30 Connecteo
5.30 Willofthepeople
6.00 Caffu Zafeen
6.30 Haven
7.00 Usuario Amigo
7.30 Geryon
8.00 Sakoku
8.30 Connova
