Casamari Abbey and Richie Condon jump the last© Photo Healy Racing
Pat Fahy landed a big pot at Listowel last week with Drop the Anchor and the Leighlinbridge Co.Carlow trainer was on the mark again when Casamari Abbey took the Carrick-On-Suir Handicap Hurdle.
In an eventful contest, the Jeremy gelding led travelling well before two out where a couple of his rivals departed and he stayed on well after the last to beat Musical Ava (11/1) by a length and a half. Mezyan (6/1) was third just ahead of the gambled-on 2/1 favourite Lightsider
The winner had been placed in a couple of bumpers and had been gradually improving in handicap hurdles having finished third to easy winner Scalino on his previous start at Punchestown.
For 7lb claimer Richie Condon, who rode several winners in Britain in recent years including a bumper on high-class chaser Vinndication, it was a first winner in Ireland.
Winning trainer Pat Fahy said: "He deserved to win as he has been running consistently enough. He used to get very upset going racing whereas he has settled now.
"I'm delighted for Richie Condon and for the owners Stephen Murphy (Clare) and Seamus Hennessy (Limerick).
"Stephen (Murphy) got Cillin Leonard ( jump jockey who started with Fahy) going in England and gave him the chance initially and stuck with him. Both Stephen and Seamus are as loyal, and they'd want to be to have a horse like Casamari Abbey as a lot of other lads would have him gone.
"We'll look for something similar next and Richie (Condon) has broken his duck in Ireland now. Richie is with me six days a week and doesn't know when to stop working; that's hard to see nowadays and he deserves every ride he gets."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
