David Casey completed a 25/1 double on the concluding session of the seven day Listowel Fesival, highlighted by the feature race victory of Cloudy Bays.
Cloudy Bays justified 9/4 favouritism by making all in the two and a half miles Edmond Whelan Memorial Handicap Hurdle, bravely overcoming the strong challenge of Ballygowan Beauty at the last to score by two and a half lengths.
'I was not confident today but I did think he had a chance at the weights. He'll go now for the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 6,' said trainer Charles Byrnes.
Casey was earlier successful in the Carlsberg Novice Chase on Old Flame, who was fortunate even to get to the racecourse after Charlie Swan's horse-box broke down on the Limerick by-pass. However fellow trainer Tom Hogan came to the rescue and the Oscar gelding went on to score in impressive fashion. The five-year-old jumped his rivals ragged from the front, and was clear four out to beat Il De Boitron by 25 lengths.
The Pat Hughes-trained Tipper Road was claimed for E16,560 after a facile victory in the mile and a half Lynch's Bakery Claiming Race. Fran Berry's mount stretched clear in a matter of strides inside the final quarter mile and, despite being eased, was 14 lengths clear of Penny Rich at the line. Malachy McKenna, making a 550 miles round trip from his home near Dungannon in Co. Tyrone, was the successful claimer although Hughes will reportedly continue to train the gelding.
Threequarter Moon scored for the second time this week in the latest leg of the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle series, leading two out under Tom Ryan to beat the well-supported Shannon Ranger (16/1-8/1) by four lengths.
Daisy Gold may go hurdling soon after showing great reserves of stamina in the two miles Stokers Lodge Handicap. Cathy Gannon, now nine clear in the apprentice championship on the 31 winner mark, sent the gelding past the front-running grey Mutineer approaching the straight and he stayed on strongly to score by 11 lengths.
Onlyhavetokissme gained a deserved win in the Charlie Chute Memorial Handicap, making most of the running under Jamie Moriarty and holding on by a diminishing head from Langkawi Bay. Moriarty's claim is now reduced from 7lb to 5lb after this 20th success of his career.
Alan Magee
