Ivy Glen and Andrew McNamara on their way to victory at Listowel© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Patrick Ryan recorded his first racecourse success as he took opener at Listowel this afternoon, the Kingdom Mares Maiden Hurdle, with 14/1 shot Ivy Glen
The five-year-old daughter of Gamut was making her fourth start over hurdles today, having run well last time out to finish just over ten lengths fourth to Tropical Three at Limerick.
Encountering better ground (officially good to yielding, yielding in places) for the first time, she made virtually all under Andrew McNamara (getting married on Friday to Rhona Healy), kicking on entering the straight and scoring by two and a quarter lengths at the line. Pollywollydoodle (first reserve) just took second by a nose under Eddie O’Connell for Eoin Griffin at 20/1 while Our Ellie B was third under Barry Geraghty for Tom Cooper at 6/1. Ballykeereen was sent off the 2/1 favourite, having easily won her bumper at Tipperary last time out. She unseated her rider at the last when well beaten.
Patrick Ryan said afterwards: "I have my licence about four years and that's two winners this weekend. The fifteen-year-old Risk It Paddy won the four mile race for me at Kinsale point-to-point yesterday. He has won the two four mile point-to-point races this year.
"I have three in training and I train beside Tipperary racecourse. I was hoping she’d do it. All my horses were sparking and even the other one I had a Kinsale was travelling well when he was brought down."
Michael Walshe, who is ninety-six and from Croom, Co Limerick, owns the winner and he has tasted plenty of success in the past with King Of The Glen winning six times for him in the nineties.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
