Johnny Murtagh displays his genius to the Listowel patrons© Photo Healy Racing
Johnny Murtagh completed a smash and grab raid on Listowel 2013 when on his only ride of the Festival he landed the featured Guinness Handicap on top-weight Rich Coast
Bound for Newmarket tomorrow for a full book, Murtagh always had Rich Coast, who he also trains, to the fore. Having his first start since June, the King's Best gelding led at the three furlong pole.
Murtagh always looked confident on the five-year-old in the straight and in the end he comfortably enough saw off the attentions of the well-backed favourite, Quick Jack by two and a half lengths.
Of the Andrew Tinkler-owned victor, Murtagh explained: "We thought he was a nice horse at the start of the year. He won second time out at Cork but then he lost his way a little bit.
"He got a bit keen and maybe went over the top on us a little bit. We freshened him up and I had this race picked out for him for a while.
"He likes cut in the ground. He was running a bit keen over a mile and a half and maybe this distance (a mile and one) suited him as well.
"It was a great performance today. I haven't been here all week but he went through the ground well today and it seems to have dried out well. They've done a good job to have the track the way it is.
"It's hard to win wherever you go. We put a lot of work into this horse – we had good faith in him.
"The little break we gave him seems to have worked and it freshened him up.
"We might go for the Finale Stakes at the Curragh or the November Handicap at Naas. They are the two options he has.
"He's going to the sales at Newmarket and hopefully he'll be a nice jumper some day." (TW & EM)
