Carson off the mark with Mamaslittlestar!

Mamaslittlestar credited owner, and irishracing.com reporter, Gary Carson with a first racecourse winner at Wexford today as the James Fahey trained mare narrowly landed the second division of the Wexford Racecourse Maiden Hurdle.

The daughter of Stowaway, a neat €3,000 four year old purchase, was trained by Carson to win a November 2019 Damma House point-to-point before the northerner handed over responsibilities to licensed trainer Fahey this year.

Today Mamaslittlestar (17/2) fought bravely in the home straight and eventually reeled in leader, and 9/4 favourite Brideswell Lad at the line to gain a short-head victory.

Carson, a brother of Dewhurst Stakes winning flat jockey Steven Carson, was on reporting duty for today's Downpatrick fixture and following the race Fahey's partner Heather Heffernan quipped “every time she has won, Gary hasn't been here - we'll tell him to stay away from now on!”

“I'm delighted for him and he comes down and rides her out as well.”

Former amateur jockey Fahey, a son of trainer Seamus Fahey, won Leopardstown's 2008 Paddy Power Chase on Wheresben and was recording his second training success, with Heffernan adding “we're only a small yard and she's one to look forward to and she could step up in trip.”

“She is a slogger-max type of mare -she won her point-to-point on heavy ground and we were expecting a bit run from her. All she wants to do it run, she is very honest and keeps slogging it out.”

Winning jockey Paddy Kennedy added "she was very leery, that's why I was rowing away but holding on to her at the same time.

“I didn't want to get there too soon and the two sloppy jumps at last two probably helped me in not getting there too soon. She was good and gutsy, will get further and will probably appreciate a bit of nicer ground."

Quotes from Donal Murphy