Local Trainers to Follow at This Year's Listowel Harvest Festival The Listowel Harvest Festival is one of the few big meetings where the smaller trainer tends to have a fruitful week. Similar to the Galway Races, this is a very traditional meeting and one thing that keeps it humble is the fact any trainer or owner can have a tasty winner at this seven-day festival each year. Here, we look at some of the trainers to keep an eye on. Check out the best Listowel Harvest Festival betting offers. Eric McNamara Based in the Limerick town of Rathkeale, which is only a short drive from Listowel, Eric McNamara always sets his sights on the Listowel Harvest Festival each year. The Grade 1-winning trainer has a fairly small operation but he does really well with what he has. His son Emmet rode Serpentine to victory in the Epsom Derby, so there is true horsemanship in the blood. McNamara has won the prestigious Kerry National at Listowel on three occasions, with his stable star Ponmeoath winning the contest back-to-back in 2007 and 2008, before Faltering Fullback was successful in 2012. The yard had an incredible week at the meeting in 2024, rattling off five winners across the week, including landing a remarkable 159/1 treble on the Friday. Frankendael got his day off to an incredible start when landing the €100,000 MCG Handicap Hurdle at odds of 9/1, before the well-backed Mount Ferns won a handicap hurdle at a starting price of 3/1. Rounding off an incredible day was Cahirdown Boy who also won at 3/1, capping off one of the best ever days for the stable. You can be sure the stable will be worth following again in 2025. Eoin McCarthy Eoin McCarthy is another trainer located very close to Listowel. Despite being in neighbouring Limerick, his yard is in Athea, which is just a stone's throw away and this is another trainer who loves nothing more than a winner at his local track. Kingdom Calling caused a massive 250/1 upset in the opening race on the final day of Listowel's Harvest Festival in 2024 and the trainer confirmed afterwards that a few of his close circle availed themselves of the fancy prices. What an incredible win that was! However, that hasn't been the only winner at massive odds that McCarthy has netted at the meeting. In 2020, Le Figaro Faoudel won a maiden hurdle on the Monday at huge odds of 125/1. The message is to not be put off by a price with regard to his runners at the meeting. Forget the form book as he will have them in the best shape possible. Gillian Scott A trainer on the Flat to keep an eye on is Gillian Scott, who has netted several nice winners at the festival in the last few years. In 2024, Relevant Range defied odds of 50/1 when winning the One Mile Handicap on the Monday of the festival. With the stable based only a few miles away in Ballingarry, Scott is another to keep a close eye on.
