All to play for in apprentice championship as Harnett closes in Paddy Harnett brought his season’s tally to 24 winners with a 12/1 success on Little Miss Muffet in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Fillies Maiden at Dundalk this afternoon. His success brings him level with Reece Holohan in second place in the apprentice title race and the pair trail leader Sam Coen by two in the championship that wraps up at the Curragh on Sunday. Donnacha O'Brien’s two-year-old won the seven-furlong contest with a little in hand, drawing clear of Aidan O'Brien’s 13/8 favourite Nevermindtherain inside the final furlong to score by a length and a quarter. The Joe Murphy-trained 33/1 chance Coloursofthewind was half a length away in third place on her debut. Paddy Harnett said, “Definitely (relished the extra furlong today) and the nicer surface. “It was slower ground when she ran (in Curragh) and Michael O'Callaghan's horse (Celeron) won that race and that maiden worked out well. “She had a little break after she ran, and she has come forward plenty and I think she will come forward again from today. She did plenty of looking around in front. “She's got a lovely pedigree, so it was important to get her head in front.” Harnett has six rides at Punchestown tomorrow while both Coen and Holohan have two each. At Dundalk on Friday, Harnett is the busiest again with four booked rides, with Holohan (3) and Coen (2) also in action. There is no Flat racing in Ireland on Saturday and there’s then eight races to round off the season at the Curragh on Sunday. Additional reporting from Michael Graham
