McCourt eyes Birdcatcher with Limerick winner

Eastern Wind (5/1) has the Birdcatcher Nursery in her sights following a win in Limerick's opening Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden today, scoring for trainer Tom McCourt and apprentice jockey Robert Whearty.

On her fourth start, the daughter of Farhh today made all, under a feather weight of 8st1lb, to eventually defeat Joe Masseria by two and a quarter lengths.

McCourt later said “she doesn't like being mixed up in a bunch and that's why we pop her out in front. We claimed 7lbs off her the last day and I wanted to keep the weight off her again and she was ridden by a good claimer.

“She is a nice filly, John (McGovern, owner) bought her at a Goffs online sale last November for €4,500 and early on I always thought she'd like a dig in the ground. However when it gets this heavy, you're just hoping they're strong enough for it.

“She is a big filly and always went well but has a lot of furnishing to do yet.

“If things went right today, I said we'd have a go at the Birdcatcher (on November Handicap day at Naas, on October 31) and that is now the plan.”