Trainer Eoin McCarthy © Photo Healy Racing
A winning free bet with bookmakers Boylesports at a Cheltenham Preview Night has yielded a €17,000 dividend to a Kerry charity, as trainer and panelist Eoin McCarthy successfully picked five winners at the recent festival.
Athea, Co Limerick-based McCarthy was joined on the panel in Listowel by fellow trainer Eric McNamara, jockey Darragh O'Keeffe and Attheraces' James Flaherty, with Boylesports sponsoring a free charity bet at the end of the night.
McCarthy says "I've been doing the preview night (at Christy's The Well pub) in Listowel for five years and at the end of the night, the panelists receive a €100 charity bet. The other lads went with singles but when I put on a €50 each-way accumulator, they were laughing at me because I had three odds-on chances!
“My odds-on winners were Lossiemouth, Fact To File and Ballyburn but I also put in Protektorat (10/1, winner of the Ryanair Chase) and Lark In The Morning (8/1, Fred Winter Hurdle).
“With one horse left to run, it was all rolling on to Brighterdaysahead but the charity was getting a 'cashout' for €17,000 before the race so opted for it instead of €36,000, if she had won.
“If she had been beaten they'd have won nothing and finishing second or third would have won only €800, so it was a fair touch as Brighterdaysahead finished second!
“The charity is the Kerry Parents & Friends who look after older disabled people and are delighted.”
Trainer McCarthy continues to progress his own training operation and has Cheltenham aspirations one day, adding “the plan is to eventually get to Cheltenham with a runner but there is no point going over to make up the numbers.
“We have put in a brand new gallop and have 40 to 45 horses at the moment and have a big team for the summer. We'll have a good summer."
