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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Review listowel 18th Sep
Review listowel 18th Sep
Declan McDonogh conjured victory from the jaws of defeat as Maggie The Cat landed the L.M. Carey & Company Handicap in extraordinary fashion on a red-letter day for the Joe Murphy yard at Listowel.
The 9-2 favourite, coming off a short head defeat at the track on Tuesday, missed the break badly and was left some eight lengths in the seven-furlong contest.
McDonogh refused to panic and still had a lot to do as they entered the straight, but Maggie The Cat flew down the outside under strong driving and led close home to score by three-quarters of a length.
It was a quick double for Murphy after Rose Hip in cracking form this season, bounced back from an unplaced Irish Cambridgeshire effort to win the feature Guinness Handicap.
The mare (13-2) was settled just behind the leaders by Pat Smullen and took over as they swung off the last bend before quickening up nicely to beat long-time leader Toraidhe by a length.
Smullen initiated a double when Galileo's Choice who was backed down to 8-11 favourite for the Listowel Printing Works Maiden despite being off the track for over four months, never gave supporters a moment's worry.
Dermot Weld's three-year-old was always prominent and went on three furlongs out before striding clear impressively to record an eight-length victory.
Liam McAteer's Thats A Fret followed up his Down Royal victory with an all-the-way success in the Kirby's Brogue Inn/Kirby's Lanterns Hotel Handicap.
The 4-1 favourite broke smartly from his low draw under Ben Curtis and cleared away in the straight to win by two lengths, with runner-up Sarah's News never a danger.< Duers (9-2) completed a hat-trick with a convincing victory in the Southhampton Goodwill Chase under Barry Geraghty.
Paul Magnier's seven-year-old was driven up to challenge at the second-last, where long-time leader The Phantom Piper crashed out, and galloped on strongly to hold Reisk Superman by a length.< Next Week led all the way under Andrew McNamara and resisted the strong challenge of favourite Pires to take the South