Grade 1 aim for McCarthy’s Shadow Paddy After reeling off a hat-trick of summer wins, Shadow Paddy will aim for a big early-winter prize at Fairyhouse late next month. Trained by Eoin McCarthy for the Complete Package Syndicate, the six-year-old added to victories at Limerick in May and at Killarney in July when taking the Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase at the Galway Festival, before losing out at Gowran Park last time. McCarthy said "In hindsight his Gowran run was good, as he missed the first fence, then lost his confidence and was giving 7lb to the others, but was only beaten three and a half lengths. "The stats say he is always either the best or second-best jumper in a race, but at Gowran he lost eight and a half lengths. You'd say that if he didn't plough through the second-last, he'd have finished closer. "We're going to the Drinmore now, where I think we are a big contender racing from level weights. Gowran just didn't happen for him, but he is in great form and we're just hoping that the ground stays good at Fairyhouse, which I think it will at this stage. "On the day, I was disappointed at Gowran but when you break it down, he can improve from it and I'm looking forward to Fairyhouse."
