Jessica Harrington’s team are in flying form at present and the Moone, County Kildare handler wasted little time in opening her 2011 Listowel festival account when sending out the gambled-on Paradise De Thaix to land the featured Dawn Milk Handicap Chase at the Kingdom venue on Sunday.
Heavy rain turned the ground soft for the opening afternoon at the popular North Kerry track but that didn’t inconvenience Paradise De Thaix who, having been backed from an early morning show of 12-1, opened half that price on-track before further support saw Mark Bolger’s mount go off a well-backed 7-2 shot.
Ten faced the starter in this €34,000 two-and-a-half-mile contest, with 33-1 outsider Pink Suitcase cutting out the early running. Turning into the home straight, Bolger moved Paradise De Thaix up to tackle the long-time leader and the French-bred stayed on dourly from that point on the rain-sodden ground to beat runner-up Francis De Misnil by two lengths.
Harrington, who trains the winner for the Hard To Get Ten syndicate from Northern Ireland, was on duty at the Curragh but the winning rider remarked, “He jumped superbly throughout and that was a big plus. He handled the ground conditions well and is a very nice type of horse.”
Trainer Oliver Brady is a breath of fresh air to the racing game and the ebullient Monaghan handler was in full flow following the victory of his 7-1 shot, One Cool Shabra, in the opening Dawn Omega Milk three-year-old hurdle.
A first-ever success as a professional for 22-year-old County Meath jockey Ger Fox, the winner totally dominated this contest when stretching clear from an early stage for a 29-length success over runner-up The Quiet Hawk.
Brady likes to entertain the crowd around the parade ring when he has a winner and he didn’t disappoint on this occasion either when reciting his by now customary recitations about his native county.
Jump fans were delighted to welcome back top jockey Ruby Walsh, who returned to the saddle following a recent neck injury, to take the ride aboard Tony Martin’s Salute Him in the four-runner Kerrymaid Hurdle.
Walsh, who was out of action since shipping a heavy fall at Killarney on the July 12, didn’t enjoy a dream return however, with his mount, who ran very free in the early stages, trailing last of the quartet behind the clear-cut Paul Carberry-ridden winner, Plan A.
Gordon Elliott’s runner bounced back from a below-par effort at Perth last time to register a snug one-and-a-half-length success over Dessie Hughes’ Definite Class.
Punters were treated to a nice performance by the Andrew McNamara-partnered 7-4 favourite Trabajo in the three-mile Charleville Cheese Maiden Hurdle.
Shark Hanlon’s son of ill-fated sire King’s Theatre looked a very nice prospect when running on strongly from the second-last hurdle to record an eye-catching five-and-a-half lengths verdict over William Codd’s Its Ironic.
Much more will be heard of the winner, with Hanlon’s predicting a big future for the six-year-old when he eventually goes over fences.
Bookmakers had the better of the argument in the mares’ handicap hurdle, where 12-1 shot, Knockieran did the layers a favour when running on best to beat Nina Carberry’s mount, Jeunopse by half a dozen lengths. Local runner, Lough Donnell Mist, trained in Quin by Malachy Hassett and ridden by Milltown Malbay native Danny Howard, ran a fine race here to finish third at 14-1 for owner Michael Callinan and she is one who should put her head in front before too long.
The concluding Kerry Group bumper was a real thriller with Katie Walsh winning the day when really throwing the kitchen sink at her mount, Ravensbury.
Backed from 7-1 to 5-1, the Prunella Dobbs-trained son of Turtle Island was forced to call on all his reserves to hold the persistent challenge of second-placed Great Oak by a nose. 
High winds buffeted Listowel on Monday afternoon, with the fixture in doubt right up to the off of the first race due to the strong gales. Thankfully, the meeting managed to beat the elements, with the father and son team of Aidan and Joseph O’Brien combining to good effect to claim the featured Premier Nursery with first-time blinkered 4-1 shot Secretary Of State.

Impressive debut for Sea The Stars’ half-brother

Sea The Stars was a brilliant racehorse and his half-brother, Born To Sea (5-2), seems to posses more than a fair share of ability judging by his debut performance when running out a good winner of the listed Irish Field Blenheim Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Like Sea The Stars, Born To Sea is trained by John Oxx and once Johnny Murtagh stoked up his mount after halfway on Saturday, the Invincible Spirit colt quickened up impressively to hit the front inside the final furling en-route to a one-and-a-half-length win over Pearl In The Sand.
A delighted Oxx said, “I told everyone not to expect too much first time out as the first run is all about education. He was supposed to run here over the Oaks weekend but picked up sore shins the week before and we had to give it a miss. To win a listed race first time is quite good and Johnny said he was green, which is understandable.”
While admitting that Born To Sea has a lot to live up to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious brother, one gets the impression that Oxx is looking forward to Born To Sea’s next appearance. “The Group 3 Killavullen Stakes at Leopardstown at the end of next month would seem ideal for him and that would be his only other run this season,” confessed the Curragh-based trainer.
Meanwhile, English raiders Jukebox Jury (4-1) and 5-1 shot Duncan provided a thrilling finish to the final classic of the Irish Flat season, the Irish Field St Leger, when the pair dead-heated following a terrific tussle.
Locked together throughout the final furlong, Jukebox Jury, ridden by Johnny Murtagh for trainer Mark Johnson, and Duncan, whom Eddie Ahern partnered for John Gosden, flashed past the post in unison with the judge unable to split the pair.
The other Group 1 on the card, the Goffs National Stakes, was won by the Joseph O’Brien-ridden Power (11-4), who looked back to his best when rallying close to home to fend off the challenge of Jessica Harrington’s 11-4 favourite, Dragon Pulse, by a length and a half.
The Oasis Dream colt, whose only defeat in five starts came when beaten a neck by La Collina in the last month’s Phoenix Stakes, may well round off his season in the upcoming Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.