Lynch and Fiery Oscar land the feature

After winning the Kerry National yesterday on White Star Line jockey Andrew Lynch put another smile on his bank manager’s face when landing a bit pot in the Grade C Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Listowel.

“I rode him in Galway and I thought this two miles on soft ground would be ideal for him. I was getting a little bit worried as it took a while for him to pick up, but after the last he picked up well. It’s unbelievable to get these two big wins,” Andrew Lynch said.

Turning for home a wall of horse still had their eyes on the prize. Coming to the second last Maxim Gorky looked to going best in the middle of the track, but he fiddled his way through it and quickly lost momentum.

At the last Lynch produced Fiery Oscar along the inside and the duo stayed on stoutly to hit the line two and three parts of a length to the good at 12/1.

Rodger Sweeney trains the eight-year-old gelding and he said: “That’s a grand win, it’s grand to win a race anytime. That’s his seventh National Hunt win.

“He’s improving. He jumped the last in Galway in second [before finishing fifth]. This a shorter trip than is ideal for him as he’s a two and a half miler. I was hoping the ground would be sticky to bring the others back to him. He’s done well for us and it’s nice to get this.”

And referring to where all his wins have been, Sweeney quipped: “We’ll stay below Cashel at all times!” Aside from this success, he’s won at Limerick, Tramore, Clonmel and Thurles.

Between February and May this year he won four handicap hurdles in-a-row. The placings today were completed by well-backed Blacklough (12/1) and Pires at 8/1.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes