Last Kingdom rules supreme in Listowel 

Elsewhere on the card, Carrigmoornaspruce gave 7lb claimer Michael Kenneally, from Dungourney, his first winner since turning professional

LANDMARK SUCCESS: Jockey Michael Kenneally celebrates after Carrigmoornaspruce gave him his first win as a professional.  Picture: Healy Racing

Willie Mullins took the week’s feature, the Guinness Kerry National, on Wednesday afternoon in Listowel and added another big one to his week’s haul when Last Kingdom ran out a comfortable winner of the Listowel Races Supporters’ Club Lartigue Hurdle run in memory of John Molyneaux.

Paul Townend chose to ride a positive race about the JP McManus-owned gelding, and he travelled best of all to the home turn. Fellow McManus-owned runner Puturhandstogether threatened to put it up to him in the straight, but the leader found plenty to put a third career success on his card.

“I think the cheekpieces helped to sharpen up his jumping and to travel throughout the race,” said Townend. “We kinda got the run of the race on the front end. I committed him plenty early, but I was confident of him staying on that ground and he did see it out nicely.” 

Declan Queally saddled the first winner here on Wednesday and repeated the feat with Carrigmoornaspruce, who gave 7lb claimer Michael Kenneally, from Dungourney, his first winner since turning professional.

The classy mare, who wrapped up a busy bumper season with victory in a Grade Three at the Punchestown festival, was making her jumps debut in the Buckley Agri New Holland Irish EBF Mares’ Maiden Hurdle and won readily despite leaving the impression she would be considerably better for the outing.

“Michael’s 7lb claim was a help,” said Queally. “She’s only in since July 14, but with these good horses you don’t have to work them too much, they’re just able to do it.

“To get that out of the way was grand. She was second here last year, and her owners, Mickey (Veale) and Tom (McCarthy) are farmers, and they love coming here. They’re delighted.

“We had done loads of schooling with her because we knew we were going hurdling with her. We put hurdles out on the grass at home and Michael schooled her twice a week for the last fortnight. It had been very straightforward. She’s a good jumper and she’s a great mare to have.” 

With a word for the winning rider, he added: “Michael is after turning pro and is basing himself with us. He’s with us three days a week and I suppose he’ll be getting rides in all the big handicaps from the bigger trainers because he’s a steal for seven.” 

Cheltenham Champion Bumper runner-up Heads Up made his jumping debut in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle and it was little more than a canter for the John McConnell-trained five-year-old. Mark McDonagh was in the saddle, and he took up the running quite early, dictated matters thereafter, and didn’t have to get serious for his partner to make the perfect start to his hurdling career.

“He had the profile to be the best horse in the race, so you have to ride those horses like they’re the best horse in the race,” said McDonagh. “Everything went smoothly. He had one or two novicey jumps, which he’s more than allowed, especially when he was racing without a lead most of the way. He was very good, and there’s a lot to build from.” 

Fast Felix has been a difficult horse to win with — it took 18 goes to put the first one on the card — but he got his head in front at Killarney and that must have crowned him as he followed up with a smooth success in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle. Given a confident ride by Thomas O’Connor, the 7-1 chance coasted to the front two out and raced clear to the line to give Eoin McCarthy his second winner of the meeting.

The winning trainer has quite a following at his local track and when Shadow Paddy gave him a quickfire double by taking the next race, the Behan’s Horseshoe Bar, Restaurant & Townhouse Handicap Hurdle, it almost raised the roof.

Ridden from midfield by Gary Noonan, the gambled-on 9-2 chance travelled better towards the end of the race than in the middle of it and readily quickened away from the strong-travelling and similarly well backed Avalo.

Noonan said: “He was a bit disappointing the last day and I was just a small bit worried coming today that the handicapper might have him, but he showed here that he’s still on the right side of him. He’s a very ground-dependent horse: anything other than good, he can’t really go on. The dry few days and the ground tightening was a huge help to him today.” 

The market reacted in very different ways to the day’s last two winners, both of which were trained by Henry de Bromhead. Prior to the Thorn Plant Hire Beginners’ Chase, Mossy Fen Park was very easy to back but the class of the lightly raced sort, ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, shone through as he beat market leader Oscars Brother by a couple of lengths.

In the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Bumper, there was strong support for De Bromhead’s Mister Pessimistic and the gambled-on 11-4 favourite, ridden by John Gleeson, obliged in the style of a potentially smart sort.