Papal gets Reidy off the mark

Papal Motel provided his rider Karen Reidy with her first success, as he took the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Apprentice Handicap in first time cheekpieces.

John Murphy trains the winner, and Reidy, who is twenty-three and from Mallow, has been based with him for the last two years.

An eye-catching third on his handicap debut at Wexford in May, the winning son of Papal Bull was eighth of twenty-three behind the progressive Ceol Na Nog on his next start at Navan.

Sent off a 22/1 chance this evening he was settled in mid-division on the outer. He made good progress approaching the straight, and hit the front a furlong out, keeping on well from there to score by half a length. Rockview Emperor (14's to 12's) ran on well to take second under Denis Linehan for Noel Dooly, while House Limit (16/1), who won this race last year, was half a length back in third under Oisin Orr for John Larkin. Tempo Mac was sent off the 4/5 favourite (was 9/4 last night), and he had no excuses in fourth under Gary Halpin for Gordon Elliott.

George Murphy, son of the winning trainer, said afterwards: "He was a backward horse but is improving the whole time and the extra furlong helped. He'll go to Killarney next."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes