Me And Ben postpones retirement talk Me And Ben made the trip over from Fergal O’Brien’s yard in Britain to plunder the euro on offer in the Clieveragh Handicap Chase at Listowel. Conor Shoemark took a handy 3lbs off the 11-12 she was due to carry over this three mile trip incorporating 17 fences. He guided the seven-year-old mare into contention on the run to the second last. She jumped that fence at the head of affairs and a good leap at the last secured the success. Her SP was 8/1 and she foiled backers of second-placed Please Talk (11/2 on opening show to 9/2 favourite). He finished three and a quarter lengths behind the winner. Prince Of Milan (22/1) was pipped for second by a head. Behemoth fell at the fourth fence when leading the way. Johnny Burke was reported to be okay after the fall. Owner/breeder Micheal Fahy said: “I’m originally from Galway, but living in Tipperary now. I’m an accountant at Rathbarry Stud. She’s a home bred. She’s out of a half sister to Rhinestone Cowboy. “The plan was to retire her after here. There is a race back at Galway on the bank holiday weekend in October. It’s a 0-135 so we might go there en route to retiring. “If we didn’t have to bypass the last two in the dip (at Galway) we felt she would have won. She was travelling really well and she ran a cracker. If the two fences had to be jumped she would have won.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
