Pet pounces for McCarthy and Noonan Carla’s Pet powered home on the run-in to strike at 18/1 in the Brandon Hotel Handicap Hurdle, giving local trainer Eoin McCarthy another success at Listowel. Dunany Point made a bold bid from the front in the two-mile-two contest but was run down in the closing stages by the eventual winner, under Gary Noonan. Eastmore also finished off well late on to get grab the runner-up spot, two-and-a-half lengths behind Carla’s Pet. The winner was leaving previous form well behind. She had pulled up on her handicap debut at Cork back in July. McCarthy said:- “We’ve had two runners (so far) at the festival and we’ve had a winner and a second so we couldn’t be any happier.   “Gary gave her a great ride. We wanted to ride her a bit handier, but the pace was strong from the word go and Gary used his head. It worked out well.   “She was 66/1 this morning and has finished up 18/1 so it’s a good day’s work.   “It’s a relief more than anything to have a winner here.   “The plan was to run 24 here this week but the ballot isn’t working for us.” (Quotes by Alan Magee)
