First winner for Buttimer as Knock takes the last

Kilworth, Co Cork trainer Mary Buttimer recorded her first racecourse success as her Knockaunroe under amatuer Sean Allen took the last race at Listowel this afternoon, the Croom House Stud Maiden Hurdle.

The 1/4 favourite Park Ranger was coming with his challenge at the second last alongside the winner but crashed out there under Alan Crowe.

This left long-time leader Lady Samphire and Knockaunroe to battle out the finish with the latter going a few lengths clear on the run to the last before he asserted on the run-in to score by four and three parts of a length.

The winner was returned the 11/2 second favourite while Lady Samphire plugged on to take second at 10/1 under Danny Mullins.

The pair went fourteen lengths clear of the third horse who was Waterloo Sunrise for the double seeking pair of Shane Duffy and Mark Walsh at 16/1.

The winner is a 7yo son of Revoque and was having just his third start on the racecourse this afternoon.

He made his debut in a point-to-point at Dromahane in March of 2010 where he pulled up in the race won by State Benefit.

He then finished a well beaten thirteenth of twenty on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Cork in also in March of 2010 behind Romantic Lead.

After over two years off the track he made his reappearance at Gowran early last month where he put in a decent effort to finish sixteen lengths fourth of nineteen behind Forty Foot Tom.

Winning trainer Mary Buttimer said afterwards: "That is my first track winner. I have five in training but just one for the track at the moment.

"I have my license seven years and it’s hard to get a good one. I’ve had a few point-to-point winners in the past."

Winning rider Sean Allen, who is 25 and from Araglin in Co Cork, was recording his first success over hurdles. He won two races on the track before and eleven point-to-points. He is a second cousin of fellow jockey Johnny Allen.

Donal Murphy & Thomas Weeks