All roads lead to Listowel for Eoin McCarthy: 'They are all ready to go to war'

Heading to the 2026 Listowel Harvest Festival as their leading trainer from 12 months ago is what faces Eoin McCarthy next week.

Last year the 38-year-old Athea handler notched up six winners for the week, beating Willie Mullins by two, and included a 241/1 treble on the Friday when Tropical Image, Ollie La Ba Ba and Regards To Rose all obliged.

They'll all return to Kerry venue according to the former conditional rider, who turned his hand to training in 2011.

"At the minute I'd say five out of the six are heading back. Fast Felix, Tropical Image, Regards To Rose and Ollie La Ba Ba all go back there next week and they're all in good form. They've all gone up in the handicap since last year, so they'll have more on their plate heading back this year but we're happy with them going there."

One horse that won't be returning is Carla's Pet who landed a touch for connections (66/1-18/1) on Kerry National day when landing the Brandon Hotel Handicap Hurdle.

“She got injured on her next start in Killarney the following month and is actually out for the season which is a pity,” reported McCarthy, who hopes to have another big team representing his stable which is situated just 14km away from his local track. “Hopefully if the ballots and all that work out in our favour, we'll probably run 24.”

One that McCarthy is looking forward to running, and for good reason too, is Who's Da Goose who was raised 7lb after winning a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Wexford last month.

Costing just €1,000 at the Tattersalls July Store Sale last year, he is heading to the meeting carrying important colours.

“He is owned by my daughter Clodagh and I'd love if he won there. He got a lot for winning the last day, but it would give me a great satisfaction if he won there.

I suppose we'll have plenty going there with chances and they are all well and fresh at the minute and while there is no Shadow Paddy among them, for what they are, they are all ready to go to war.”

Shadow Paddy has helped McCarthy, who saddled his first winner at Thurles when Pound A Stroke scored at odds of 40-1 back in 2017, step up a gear in terms of quality.

The 6yo has won five of his last six starts and is unbeaten over fences, his latest win coming in a Grade 3 event at the big Galway summer festival.

“He had a break after Galway and we're delighted with him. He is fresh and well in himself and all going to plan, even though he has a penalty, he'll go to Gowran for the Like A Butterfly Novice Chase (October 3).”

Shadow Paddy is looking a real bargain now having been purchased for €8,000 as a 3yo at the May Store Sale in 2023.

“Myself and Richie Downes go to the sales to buy 3yos and Richie has been a big asset to the yard since he came on board buying young horses as he has a good eye.”

Buying 3yos is a system McCarthy has believed in. “We're probably old fashioned as we buy a lot of 3yos every year and try to produce them ourselves. With the budgets we have to play with, our best chance of getting a nice horse is buying the store or unbroken ones. These are eight or 10 grand horses whereas if it's placed in a point-to-point could be 50 grand.”

Having Downes on toe around the sales ring is a huge help.

“To have someone like Richie to say ‘put on your big boy pants and buy this horse' helps as sometimes you can get a bit windy at a sale when the prices start going up around you. Sometimes you just need a fella around you to say come on now this is the one we have to buy.”

Downes had his colours carried aboard Summerville Boy when the then-5yo landed a Killarney bumper before it was sold afterwards for £130,000 in May 2017.

The following year Summerville Boy won the Tolworth in January before landing the Supreme Novices' Hurdle for Tom George at the Cheltenham festival.

Last September Gary Noonan was crowned leading jockey at the meeting with three of his four winners supplied by McCarthy who acknowledges his importance: “Gary is a massive part of our team and is with me five or six years now. Not only does he ride Listowel really well, he also knows the importance of the meeting to both the yard and the owners involved which is a huge thing.”

Having achieved his best seasonal tally of 15 winners last term, two better than his 2022-23 total, and with eight winners racked up so far this year, has he set any targets?

“I always say if you can hit double figures in this country you're surviving, say 10 or 12 every year. I'd love to say we are going to get 15 or 16 this season but sometimes if you set yourself actual targets you might end up pushing horses harder than you should. I like to train what's in front of me and plan it as best I can.”

Having ridden more as a conditional than an amateur back in the day, McCarthy singles out one man who was a huge help to him. “I spent a good season with Michael Hourigan and learnt an awful lot from him and have modelled my training around a lot of what I picked up there. He was a very good trainer and won many races with ordinary horses. He didn't leave much after him.”

The former rider who always had training in mind, even during his career in the saddle, left little behind him at this 7-day fixture last year and the odds are he'll find his way back into the winners' enclosure again when he returns to his local track.