Starting Fifteen the toast of local Limerick punters Local trainer Eric McNamara got the week off to the perfect start when Starting Fifteen justified market confidence in the Signsplus Maiden Hurdle. Sent off 4/5f under Sean Flanagan, the Starting Fifteen Partnership owned gelding was in the first half dozen throughout. Coming through to challenge early in the straight, the four-year-old headed Laurets D'estruval at the penultimate flight before powering clear to score by four-and-a-half lengths. Eric McNamara said: "On his last run (finishing second to Talk The Talk) he was entitled to win most four-year-old maiden hurdles and he is a smart horse with buckets of toe. "The secret to him is Sean Flanagan switching him off and getting him to relax. Sean came down to school him over hurdles in the past couple of weeks which was all in preparation for today so I'm delighted. He has a great bunch of owners so it's all good. "He'll probably go for a novice next and he could end up running in one of the better handicaps in the spring. He is well bred and could also go back on the Flat next year, although it is important he settles." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
