McNamara steals the show at Gowran Park Andrew McNamara stole the show at Gowran Park at Saturday when landing a Grade 2 double aboard Catch Me in the Red Mills Centenary Hurdle and landing the Red Mills Chase aboard rank outsider Ballistraw. Ballistraw caused a major shock when running out a facile winner with Kicking King a well-beaten third in the two-and-a-half-mile contest. The Denis Hickey trained nine-year-old was the 33/1 outsider of the six runners and despite a mistake at the last he cruised through under McNamara to head long time leader Knight Legend and score by an extremely comfortable three parts of a length. Afterwards a delighted but shocked Hickey said, ?If you?re not in you can?t win! He jumped well and just didn?t act at all the last day when a mistake at the first might have affected him. I don?t know where we will go from here - It is as big as a surprise to me as it is to all of you.? Kicking King was 13-lengths back in third but afterwards his trainer Tom Taaffe remained upbeat, ?They have gone a real good gallop on tacky ground and he has jumped as good as he ever has on that ground. ?Obviously I would be much happier if he won but if he is fine after this it is onwards to the Gold Cup. Barry (Geraghty) said he would come on for the run and I said I was training him for one day and I still am.? Kicking King was pushed out to 20/1 from 14/1 with William Hill for the Gold Cup. In the Grade 2 Hurdle Catch Me returned to his best form to hold off Jazz Messenger by four-and-a-half-lengths. The six-year-old had disappointed on his last start at Thurles when trailing in behind Sunshine Guest before Christmas but bounced back to form here to re-enter the Champion Hurdle frame. "In hindsight he always looked to have them covered and everything worked out well. I still regret not running him in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham and going for the Ballymore Properties Hurdle even when Clopf was ruled out. "He was very, very sick at Thurles before Christmas but I was confident that I had him as well as I could today. That was a nice performance and I think he will improve from the run," said O?Grady afterwards. Catch Me was cut to 16/1 from 33/1 for the Champion Hurdle by Boylesports, Cashmans go 20/1 from 50/1 and William Hill are now 25/1 from 40/1. Knock On The Head went one better than last time out at Punchestown to land the Thomas M Byrne and Sons Handicap Hurdle for trainer Joe Crowley in the hands of Mark Walsh. Settled in mid division by Walsh, the JP McManus owned son of Flemensfirth led over the last and held off the persistent challenge of Dancing Hero by three-lengths. Damien Byrne, assistant to the winning trainer remarked afterwards, ?We will go for something similar over two-and-a-half-miles or two-miles-and-six but he jumped a lot better today and Mark said he handled the ground although we would prefer it a bit looser as it is very tacky.? Philip Rothwell?s Four Chimneys rallied late to land the Walsh?s Toyota Beginners Chase over two-miles-and-two-furlongs with Shane Jackson doing the steering. The seven-year-old was a 20/1 shot at the off and led in the final strides to deny Oscar Honey by a head with a further two-lengths back to odds on favourite Quetre Heures. There was plenty to celebrate for the 20-strong Corlican Syndicate who were in attendance to see Swiftmarc land the Irish Stallion Owners European Breeders Fund Maiden Hurdle over two-miles. Under an ice cool ride from Tommy Tracey the Mags Mullins trained winner took it up after the last going on to just see off Direct Exit by a neck. ?I was a bit disappointed he didn?t win his bumper,? revealed the trainer afterwards. ?But he has a great technique and a nice future and we will continue over hurdles for now.? Jim Culloty teamed up with the inform Tom Doyle to score in the Shantou at Burage Stud Maiden Hurdle by seven-lengths. Incidentally it was a red letter day for jockey?s agent Gary Cribben who was responsible for booking all the winning rides on the card.
