Division 1of the Harvest Festival 11th to 17th September Handicap Hurdle, supplied Listowel punters with another shock winner (after Mr Sykes 25/1 & Compton Court 33/1 yesterday) as 25/1 chance Kalico Kim came out on top for trainer John Ryan.
Now on her fourth trainer the daughter of King’s Theatre had shown very little since winning her bumper at Kilbeggan way back in August of 2008 for David Marnane and on her eleven start since then she finally recaptured her best form to score by two lengths at the finish with Declan Bates aboard.
Bean Chroi Bhristie led the field entering the straight with the winner and G’Day Molly tracking her. The latter horse crashed out at the second last when still with every chance.
Kalico Kim then joined the leader at the last and eventually got on top close home. The first two racing seventeen lengths clear of the third Satwa King
Winning trainer John Ryan who trains on the point-to-point course at Templemore, Co Tipperary said afterwards: "She came to me seven or eight months ago. She was being trained on the all-weather but we switched her to grass and that seems to have made all the difference. We got her to switch off and settle.
"Its rare a bumper winner races off a mark of 83. She should improve and win again."
The well supported favourite Unwanted Gift (13/2 this morning into 9/2 favourite on track) could only manage a disappointing ninth for trainer Louis Archdeacon.
