Curtain comes down on Festival Racing Season at Listowel

Listowel's Harvest Festival marked the end of the festival racing season.

The fact that a limited attendance was allowed helped the atmosphere and the hope is that when the remainder of the restrictions are lifted next month, we can return to something like normal.

Sundays opening session saw John Ryan continue his winning run when Kilashee took the first division of the mares’ handicap hurdle. This was a landmark victory for Ryan as it put him on thirty winners for the season which is exactly double his best ever total.

Jockey Shane Fitzgerald gradually turned the screw on the rest of the field and by the time the second last was reached it was obvious that she was not for catching. Although coming back to the other runners she still had two lengths to spare over Outlier.

In his post-race remarks, John Ryan revealed that much of the credit must go to vet Tom O'Brien who save her life twice and also solved her wind problem.

A half-sister to Kilcarry Bridge, Kilashee is owned by The Bitview Partnership, she was a winner at Ballinrobe last month and she can be placed to further success.

Wednesday’s Kerry National was the centrepiece of the weeks racing and it provided further evidence of the prowess of rider Shane Fitzgerald as he guided the Joseph O'Brien trained Assemble to a facile victory.

The new season was barely a couple of weeks old when he won on his first ride as a professional and it has been onwards and upwards ever since.

Fitzgerald settled Assemble just off the pace, he came for his race heading to the second last fence before jumping the last in front and pulling out plenty to land the spoils by two and three-quarter lengths from the Willie Mullins trained pair Brahma Bull and Annamix.

Brendan Powell, who is assistant to O'Brien and handles most of the media duties, told all and sundry that Fitzgerald is a great horseman and is destined for the top. He fills his horses with confidence and has transformed Assemble who was a sketchy jumper into a proper horse.

Well known TV racing commentator Brian Gleeson had his colours carried to victory when The Names Jock ran out a comfortable winner of the second division of the two-mile maiden hurdle.

A three-time winner on the level, the five-year-old was backed from 8 &10 into 4/1 on what was his hurdling bow and in truth he never looked like losing.

Rider Denis O'Regan anchored him in mid division early on as he was very free, he gradually improved his position to lead over the final flight and sprint clear for a comfortable two and a quarter length victory over the favourite Dixie Flyer.

In his post-race debrief, veteran handler John Kiely revealed that his charge is not a winter horse, he has a lot of class and could well make into a decent summer jumper.

Paddy Twomey got his name on the scoresheet when he saddled French Claim to capture the opening juvenile maiden at Thursday session.

Well supported, the son of French Fifteen took a time to warm to his task in the hands of Billy Lee but he finished strongly to take over a furlong out and hold the challenge of Bienvenue by half a length.

Described as “a nice horse” by Twomey, the winner has plenty of size and will probably have another outing before the season end, however, he was at pains to stress that his charge is one for next term.

Denis Hogan opened his account for the week in the very next race when Shelia took the mile handicap for the form Joey Sheridan.

Beaten just half a length at Gowran, the daughter of Australia was smartly away and never saw another rival as she came home a length and a half to the good from Swiss Army Officer.

A 15,000-guinea purchase at Newmarket back in February, the winner looks great value right now and, on this evidence, will collect again before very long.

After the eclipse of Point Lonsdale in the Irish National Stakes, Aidan O'Brien launched another grenade at the Curragh on Saturday in the shape of Luxembourg who entered the Derby picture with an impressive victory in the mile Group 2 Beresford Stakes.

Winner of his maiden at the first time of asking at Killarney back in July, the Camelot colt was reported to have come on the proverbial ton in the meantime and so it proved as he came from off the pace to hit the front a furlong or so out and in spite of a high head carriage shot clear to win pulling up by four and a half lengths from Manu Et Corde.

Even allowing for the disappointing run of the well-regarded Swan Bay, this was an eye-catching display by Luxembourg who sent students of the form scurrying for their notebooks to pencil him in as a strong Derby contender.

A suitably impressed jockey Shamie Heffernan reported that his is a very talented individual with a great attitude. The fact that he drifted off a straight line and held his head high he put down to greenness. No doubt there will be plenty of discussion during the long winter nights as to the merits or otherwise of this victory.

Jim Bolger is another dreaming of the days ahead after Gaire Os Ard landed the opening six furlong two-year-old maiden.

Settled on the tail of the leaders, the daughter of Teofilo was ridden to lead by Kevin Manning inside the last furlong before readily holding the challenge of Thunder Eclipse by three-parts of a length.

Well regarded by the trainer who revealed that it took some time to figure her out, but she is very talented and because she is a big filly, she will be given plenty of time.