Madam finally gets her day in the sun Patience paid off for the connections of Barryroe Madam as she shed her maiden tag at the 15th time of asking in the Cnoc An Oir Handicap Hurdle at Listowel. A hood deployed for the first time at Galway back in October seems to have been a help to the Kapgarde mare and today James Smith galvanized her to a half a length success from Tackletommywoowoo. "She is a little bit hot so we said we'd take our time and give her plenty of light. She jumped very well, battled on well and everything went to plan," reported Smith on the Brian McMahon-trained six-year-old. "In two of her previous best runs she was ridden cold and she finished strong, so it suited that they went a good gallop." The Raceday Stewards interviewed R.P. Geoghegan, rider of Three Tribes, concerning his use of the whip in the closing stages of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned who accepted he was in breach of the Whip Regulation and apologised for his actions. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Raceday Stewards were satisfied that R.P. Geoghegan was in breach of R.10.3(b)(unnecessary use when out of contention) and having considered his clean record in this regard, they suspended him for two racedays. (TW & EM)
