Fast Felix leads home McCarthy 1-2-4 in Killarney curtain raiser Fast Felix opened his account over flights under Calum Hogan to lead home a 1-2 for trainer Eoin McCarthy in the opening Irish Examiner Maiden Hurdle at Killarney. Sent off 9/2, the seven-year-old was perhaps a shade fortunate to beat favourite and fellow McCarthy trained runner-up Wholelotofbusiness. Tracking the pace from the outset, Fast Felix came through to tackle leaders Crystabel and Game Phoenix after two out. Coming through to head the latter at the final flight, Fast Felix soon asserted. However, Wholelotofbusiness, who had been on the backfoot having stumbled after jumping two out and, then being hampered by faller Crysabel at the last, stayed on strongly on the run-in. The line just came in time for Hogan and Fast Felix, who held on to win by half-a-length from the unlucky Wholelotofbusiness. Tinking Man kept on well in the straight to give McCarthy a further share of the prize money back in fourth place. McCarthy said: "Jack (Kennedy, jockey of Wholelotofbusiness) was unlucky as the faller took his eye off it but the winner had been threatening to do this for a long time. I'm delighted for Sean, Brenda and the Maguire family (owners) who are very good to me and we eventually got our day. "I gave the winner a good chance if he brought his best runs but for whatever reason, he was very back in Wexford the last day. From the word go, it wasn't happening for him but nothing came to light afterwards. "We're locked up now until Listowel so all of them will now go straight there next." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
