Costalotmore and Tiernan Power Roche are way out clear in the bumper© Photo Healy Racing
Maybe it was just as well for the riders of the beaten horses in the concluding Listowel Vintners Association INH Flat Race that the usual Kerry National crowd wasn’t present after they had allowed 20/1 winner Costalotmore a freebie up front.
Racing keenly early on, the winner was allowed stride on by 7lb claimer Tiernan Power Roche and soon established a clear lead.
Way out clear with a circuit to race, his rivals could never land a blow as the 6-year-old gelding by Primary came home all of 39 lengths to the good from Mahlers Dollar (5/1). Bohemian Birch (10/1) was third with the 15/8 favourite Ballymoney making no impression in ninth place.
At a subsequent Stewards’ Enquiry, the Stewards interviewed all the riders of the beaten horses. They were collectively of the view that the winner had run free for much of the race and had slipped the field before maintaining this lead to the line. These explanations were noted by the Stewards.
The winner had won a couple of point-to-points as a 4-year-old and was second in a bumper at Cork last year, with this being his first outing since then.
The winning rider has enjoyed success point-to-pointing and his only previous racecourse success came at the June meeting here in 2018 when he won a handicap hurdle on Trans Wood.
Costalotmore was having a first start for winning trainer Richard O’Keeffe, based in Taghmon, Co.Wexford, who said: "He did it well, we didn't think we had him as ready as that.
“He won two point-to-points and had been off for a while. He stays well, that's his job.
“I knew he'd stay but thought he might blow up because he hadn't run in a while. He was very straight anyway.
“We'll go for a maiden hurdle now, probably over two-and-a-half miles. Touch wood he stays right.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
