McNamara off the mark with Gaelic win Last year’s Listowel leading trainer Eric McNamara got off the mark at the course this week, as unfortunate Roscommon loser Gaelic Des Chastys (15/2) gained compensation in the Paud Fitzmaurice Memorial Handicap Chase. Gaelic Des Chastys was nabbed on the line at the Connaught course last month when rider Paddy O’Brien was subsequently suspended for easing up, and today neatly flipped that short-head defeat when denying Crowsatedappletart by the same margin. It was successful 3lb claimer Gary Noonan’s fourth win this week and trainer McNamara reported “our week from last year was never likely to be replicated and we have been hitting the cross-bar this week, so this is a relief. We had been a bit unlucky with a few of our runners but the horses have been running great. “I tried running Gaelic Des Chastys over hurdles earlier this week as he is so much better ‘in’ over hurdles but he didn’t get in, so I ended up with three horses taking each other on in this race, which is a pity. “Gaelic Des Chastys was unlucky at Roscommon (in August) when his jockey eased up and then he didn’t get 2m7f in Killarney. The syndicate is headed by publican Josh Sheahan from Askeaton and by God they’ll celebrate this.”
