Miss Mary Mac continued her good run of form when opening her account over timber for Cratloe owner Seán McNamara in the John J Galvin Maiden Hurdle at Listowel last Friday.

A dual bumper winner earlier this season, Miss Mary Mac (3/1-5/2) was desperately unlucky when second at Kilbeggan, where she stumbled at a vital point in the race in a similar event seven days earlier but she made amends for that mishap in fine style when crediting her in-form Newmarket husband and wife training team of Lorna Casey and Fachtna Twomey with yet another success.
The daughter of Dushantyor travelled really strongly throughout this two and a half mile contest and, when regular pilot Mikey O’Connor produced her up the centre of the track approaching the final flight, she ran on really well to beat 2/1 joint-favourite Bangonform by four lengths.
A smart mare, Miss Mary Mac, who also won two point-to-points back in the spring, has proved a revelation in recent times and, while her paddock value has already been greatly enhanced, there are more race to be won with the teak-tough five-year-old.
“Miss Mary Mac is proving to be a real money-spinner for us and it’s wonderful,” said winning trainer Lorna Casey in the aftermath of her latest success.
“She is really consistent and thrives on racing. We will give her a short break now and a novice hurdle will be her next port of call.”
Listowel proved a wonderful meeting with the high
light of the week, Wednesday’s Guinness Kerry National, going to Tony Martin’s well-backed Northern Alliance.
The subject of hefty supports all morning before going off 4/1 favourite for this three-mile showpiece, Northern Alliance was given a typically confident ride by Ruby Walsh, who had his mount in mid-division in the early stages.
Long time leader Church Island still held the call as the field swung into the home straight. Heading towards the final fence, Northern Alliance had improved to challenge as had his stable companion Royal County Star with Church Island making three in line as they rose to the last.
Royal County Star, who made a costly mistake here, led briefly for a few strides as the trio set sail for the line but it was Walsh aboard the market leader who conjured the most out of his charge to beat gallant runner-up Church Island by a length with Royal County Star just a neck away in third.
Dashing George ran a blinder to fill fourth for Eric McNamara with Ballycullen Boy, owned by Tulla Road, Ennis businessman Gerry Danagher and his brother Noel, showing that there is life in the old dog yet with an honourable effort in fifth.
Winning trainer Tony Martin was full of praise for Walsh, who was riding his fourth Kerry National winner in six years, in his post-race comments.
“Ruby has given this horse a tremendous ride,” he said. “He had everything worked out beforehand and, having ridden the horse before, he knew him well. I was happy with Northern Alliance coming into the race and it was just a matter of him seeing out the three miles, which he did in good style.”
Where Northern Alliance, who carries the colours of the New York-based Irish Rover Syndicate, will go now is open to debate, but Martin is eyeing up a trip to the Open meeting at Cheltenham in November for the successful eight-year-old who goes up 8lbs for his latest win which now puts him on a rating of 148 over fences in this country.
“We won’t rush into anything with him. He’s a horse that takes very little work to get fit and I know the lads that own him are keen for a trip to Prestbury Park so maybe that will be the route we’ll take now,” said Meath handler Martin.
Michael Hourigan may have just missed on big-race success with Church Island, but he had some measure of compensation when his Turf War sprung a 20/1 shock in Thursday feature, the Guinness Handicap Hurdle.
Ridden by promising 17-year-old stable apprentice Adrian Heskin, the winner, who carries the Gigginstown House silks of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, was always in the front rank and, having looked like being held when headed by eventual runner-up Tramp Stamp with 100 yards to go, Turf War found more to get back up on the inside rail to score by a head.
This meeting was a triumph for the Listowel executive. Described as ‘unraceable’ in the week prior to the fixture, it was a tribute to all concerned that the powers that be managed to complete all seven days without a hitch.
Remarkably, just to prove the vagaries of our Irish weather, by the time the fixture drew to a close on Saturday afternoon, the ground was riding good on the flat and good, good to firm on the chase and hurdle track.
Crowd figures held up very well over the week at the Kingdom venue with Wednesday’s Kerry National day attendance of 26,969 topping the list.

Point-to-Point season opens

It’s time to don the wellies and get back into the swing of things as the eagerly-awaited 2009/10 point-to-point season rolls into action this weekend.
The honour of hosting the first action of the new season falls to the Route Harriers who will host their fixture at Limavady, Derry, on Saturday afternoon.
Nearer home, Limerick Foxhounds will kick things off down south when they hold their meeting at Rathcannon, Bruree, Limerick, on Sunday.
A six-race card, the white flag for the off of the first race will be raised at 1.30pm and this will, no doubt, attract plenty of followers from the Clare area.
Champion jockey Derek O’Connor is hot favourite to retain his leading jockey’s crown having won his sixth-title-in-a-row (2004/09) last year with a record-breaking tally of 113 winners. Each of those years, O’Connor smashed his own record set the previous year and, while it will be very hard to better his total of 2009, award-winning O’Connor can be expected to make a bold bid to do so if he manages to remain injury free throughout the now nine-month long season.