With only two races open for him to participate in on an eight race mixed card at Tipperary last evening, Paul Carberry made the most of his trip to Limerick Junction as he captured a brace. The Meath rider completed the double with a superb drive to get Louisville home by a head for his boss Noel Meade in the maiden hurdle.
Without a win from eight previous efforts over flights, the heavily invested upon 8/13 favourite, was ridden along before two out, but hitting the front soon after the last, he came out best in a driving finish for a head win.
Punters strongly favoured Flavian Dynasty over Three Mirrors in what looked a match for the conditions hurdle but the betting got it wrong as the latter held the late surge of Lucky Slipper.
Winning handler Tony Mullins sees the four-year-old as a horse for the 'holiday meetings,' and as he is such a 'superb jumper,' the Carberry-ridden victor could be launched on a chasing career.
A competitive winners bumper proved to be something less than that as Tom Mullins' Habihat had the contest in the bag well before the straight under Niall Madden and held on by a comfortable length and a half.
Only a narrow winner in a blanket finish on his previous run at Clonmel, Mullins said of his charge, 'he must be a good horse after that and he looks a nice prospect.'
With the names Aidan O'Brien and Dermot Weld standing out like beacons amongst the seven trainers represented in the opening maiden, it wasn't surprising to see the market get the race exactly right.
Well-backed Cougar Cat (4/5 to 8/15) under Jamie Spencer beat Weld's Spring Of Pearls by a length. O'Brien expects the son of Storm Cat to 'improve for the run,' whilst he also expressed his disappointment at One Cool Cat having to miss Saturday's Guineas owing to a bad scope earlier in the day.
Of course Seamie Heffernan has long since been associated with the Ballydoyle camp, and he himself was in the number one spot after the following sprint handicap courtesy of the Pat Tallis-trained, Acorn Lodge.
A progressive sort when successful three times from her final four starts last term, Freshford, Co.Kilkenny based Tallis hopes his 'genuine sweet filly' will continue on the improve. A builder by trade, the successful trainer commented, 'it's great to have a filly like her to get away from the work.'
Hamairi justified odds of 1/6 in the maiden under Michael Kinane and the Aga Khan's colt has now earned himself a tilt at next month's Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown according to the owner's representative, Pat Downes.
The amateur riders handicap hurdle saw a gamble on Singh Street (8/1-7/2 fav) go astray, as Golden Beauty battled on best to triumph by a length for Eamonn Sheehy and Michael Darcy.
Racing concluded with Gerry Stack's newcomer, Anseo making virtually all under John Thomas McNamara to spring a 14/1 surprise in the bumper.
