Hat-trick for Carberry

Hat-trick for Carberry

10 June 2015

FOLLOWERS of Paul Carberry were in luck as the veteran of the saddle booted home three winners on Friday evening’s seven-race card at Downpatrick Racecourse.

The first leg of Carberry’s 235/1 treble came in the second race of the day when 4/1 chance Be Seeing You took the handicap hurdle for Meath trainer Gordon Elliott.

Although not that fluent over the second last flight of hurdles, Carberry still had plenty of horse under him and ranged upsides Halls Bridge and Ger Fox at the final flight before racing clear to win by four and a quarter lengths from Harry Smyth’s Antrim raider Personal Shopper who overhauled Halls Bridge in a race for second spot by a neck.

Carberry also steered another Meath raider to success in the third race of the evening when 6/1 shot Cristy’s Call provided him with his second winner of the night in the Racing All The Way Handicap Hurdle for Meath trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Cromwell had slight reservations about the ground but had little to worry about once Carberry produced Cristy’s Call to breeze ahead of Andrew Lynch and Santo Prince at the last before racing uphill to win by four and three quarters of a length with a similar distance back to Bryan Cooper and Broughtons Bandit in third.

Carberry’s third win in just under an hour came courtesy of Fort Smith, trained once again by Gordon Elliott.

The 9/1 chance was settled off the pace for the early stages of the two miles seven furlongs contest and moved closer with a mile to race.

When the race began in earnest Carberry produced his mount to overhaul Archie Meade and Danny Howard to win by a length and a half with 33/1 outsider The Cub well back in third under Andrew Lynch.

The well backed Haddington Road showed an appreciation for a in trip when winning the opening race on the card for Westmeath trainer Dot Love and jockey Andrew McNamara.

Love’s charge was spot on for this race after a decent effort last time out at Punchestown and with the money down there was a degree of confidence about Haddington Road’s chances and this could be one to follow over the next few weeks.

Bryan Cooper and Ultimate Horseman, winner of a Downpatrick bumper recently, were friendless in the market and four lengths in arrears in second place at the line.

Bills Official was a shock 33/1 winner of the handicap chase with jockey Shane Hassett losing his claim in the process on his uncle Martin’s Tipperary raider.

Although not fancied in the market the success came as no surprise to the trainer who had noticed the horse coming back to himself in recent weeks.

“We’ll see how he comes out of the race before deciding where he goes next,” said a delighted Hassett in the winner’s enclosure.

Following the race jockey JJ King received a one day ban for weighing in 1.6lbs heavier than when he weighed out. 

Cabra jockey Noel McParlan gave El Grande a peach of a ride to win the hunters’ chase for Jim Dreaper.

Next meeting: Sunday, June 14.