Philip Carberry, the 17-year-old son of legendary rider Tommy and brother of current top national hunt rider Paul, rode his first winner on Native Status at Bellewstown last night.
Carberry eventually intends following in the family tradition and pursuing a professional career as a rider. At the moment he's riding as an amateur and yesterday was his first race over hurdles but against pro's of the class of O'Dwyer and Swan, Carberry didn't look at all out of place as he kicked Native Status into the lead going to the third last and kept the 14 to 1 shot a length clear of Indian Magic to the line.
"He intends making a go of it and likes riding over fences," said his father who could aim Native Status at the Galway Plate. "Philip has spent the last two summers with Dermot Weld and Aidan O'Brien," he added before grinning: "He's tall so we'll have to keep him away from the grub!"
Generous Lady gave weight all round to land the Oldbridge Handicap, her fourth success in all. "She's in foal to Desert King and will have two more runs, at the Curragh on Oaks day and at Leopardstown. She has black type so she'll be valuable at the paddocks," said trainer Gerry Cusack.
Stephen Craine rode a short-priced double for the Prendergast brothers, getting Night Scent home by three lengths in the Murphy Maiden for Kevin and forcing the 4 to 7 favourite The Flying Pig to hold on from the Matanah for Paddy in the opener.
Another odds-on chance, Sarigor, was a very easy winner of the five-furlong maiden while favourite backers were also on the mark in the bumper when Townleyhall had too much in the closing stages for Derravaragh Secret.
Montecristo, who owes his life to a diet of raspberry leaves, won for the eighth time since he became the property of his trainer Rae Guest and for the 11th in all when he defied top weight in the Tote Summer Challenge Cup at Brighton yesterday.
Given a brilliantly timed ride by 7lb claimer Neil Pollard, the 7 to1 chance came from last to first to catch Yet Again inside the final furlong and win going away by two and a half lengths.
Guest explained how, soon after the horse ran at Ascot two summers ago, he developed problems in his stomach and started to look as if he was going to waste away.
"The vets simply could not find out what was wrong with him and at one time his owner Ian Matthews feared that he would have to be put down," he said.
"I suggested that he should let me have the horse and I started giving him a herbal feed which includes raspberry leaves as one of its main ingredients.
"Then he started to bloom again about a year ago and this is the eighth race he has won since August of last year. My wife Rachel rode her first two winners on him."
