Stallion-master Maher wins with Patty O’Farrell Patty O’Farrell (10/1) shed her maiden tag for trainer and stallion-owner Peter Maher today, landing Listowel’s Southern Waste Management Mares Handicap Hurdle under jockey Sean O’Keeffe. The seven-year-old mare raced prominently throughout today’s race, led at the second-last and finished well to beat Katherine by three lengths. Maher stands Patty O’Farrell’s sire Policy Maker, whose progeny includes top chaser Chacun Pour Soi, and, while leading-up the winner, reported “we had been handicapping and the Policy Makers get better as they get older. “Patty O’Farrell is a grand mare, will be better over fences and you know me, I love the cross-country races.” Maher added “I nearly won a cross-country race in France with Subset last week, but he was narrowly beaten. I had really fancied him for the Saturday race at the Punchestown festival but Sean (O’Keeffe) switched to ride Cavalry Master for that race and Subset, who isn’t the best of jumpers, ‘head-butted’ the bank and fell. “I was devastated, as I love to have a winner at Punchestown but his run in France made up for it. Subset will go back for the Velka Pardubicka (Czech Republic) in October.”
