Red-letter day for trainer McGuinness

Coffeemeanscoffee saw off Ceapach Rua at the end of six furlongs in the first division of the Mallow Handicap to give restricted trainer Tom McGuinness his first success.

Killian Leonard sent Coffeemeanscoffee to the front in the final quarter of a mile but she was soon under pressure to maintain her advantage outside the furlong pole.

She kept toughing it out, though. Ceapach Rua (in new blinkers) came through with his effort inside the final furlong but he was always being held by the winner who increased her margin to half a length at the line.

The winner was backed down from 28/1 to 14/1 to beat the 50/1 runner-up. Linus Larrabee was two and a half lengths further away in third at 13/2.

McGuinness said: "This is my first winner and her second. I only started in July and it felt like a long time from July to here but it is great to get the first one. We've had 15 runners.

"I train on the beach in Rosslare and have four flat horses. My father had horses with Willie Martin for years and I was working for him so during covid I took out a license. This is a covid project.

"She won over 6f in Naas previously, had been off a year and had a couple of nice runs over the summer.

"It is hard to get everything right but I must commend the authorities for dividing these races. It gives the small man a chance and without them, she wouldn't have got a run."

Coffeemeanscoffee's sole other victory came at Naas in August 2019 for her previous trainer Martin.

The Stewards requested a report from Tom McGuinness, trainer, as to the apparent improvement in form of Coffeemeanscoffee, placed first, as compared with its recent form. Tom McGuinness reported that his charge did not see out the seven furlong trip the last day at Cork and furthermore in compliance with Rule 213 he reported the animal to be showing signs of being in season post race. He added that previously at Naas on the 22nd August he had reported that his charge was coughing post race in compliance with Rule 213. He expressed that his charge had been dropped in the handicap and had been beaten no more than eight lengths on her previous three runs. Having considered the evidence the Stewards noted the content of the report.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes