Limerick report: The appearance of 2002 Aintree Grand National winner Monty's Pass was the main attraction at Limerick yesterday, where Jimmy Mangan's rising 12-year-old finished third in the Guinness Christmas Festival Hurdle.
Although never appearing likely to win, he stayed on well for third behind Charlie Swan's One More Minute. Afterwards, the gelding's trainer Jimmy Mangan expressed his delight at the run before adding that his 11-year-old is on course for a repeat Aintree win next April.
Maynooth-based John Carr achieved a notable training feat when saddling Killeaney to his fourth consecutive handicap hurdle win.
Carrying top weight under Andrew McNamara, the winner looked held by eventual runner-up Corskeagh Thunder when landing awkwardly at the second last flight.
Jumping the last, Corskeagh Thunder and Mark Flanagan held a length and a half lead but with 100 yards to race, Corskeagh Thunder began to tire. A strong McNamara drive helped Killeaney to sweep past him close home, eventually winning by what had looked an unlikely winning margin of a length and a half.
The win was McNamara's second at the festival while his cousin, John Thomas McNamara, later landed another grief-stricken beginners chase on Supreme Rebel.
Supreme Rebel looked booked for second spot on the run to the final fence where Model Son held a clear lead. However, Model Son and Mark Darcy met the obstacle all wrong and fell, leaving McNamara to push out Supreme Rebel for his win with Darcy remounting Model Son to finish second, 25 lengths behind the fortunate winner.
Trainer Andrew Lee later expressed his delight at securing McNamara's services before joking: "It's better to be born lucky than to be born rich! Supreme Rebel has had his problems but jumping is his game and he'll be kept to novice company now."
Local trainer Annette McMahon saddled Carrodown Storm to win the Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase. Already twice a winner at her local track, Carrodown Storm attempted to make all under Mark Madden but appeared beaten when a little untidy jumping the final fence. The mistake left 4 to 5 favourite Pearly Jack to get his head in front on the flat, but Madden, riding without his reins having lost them at the last, forced the winner ahead again at the line. The popular winner is owned by Crecora farmer Morgan Downey while McMahon's husband, Keith Reidy, observed: "She is a bit unreliable but loves racing here. We'll aim her at another race here in January but she may go to stud at some stage in the new year."
