Review LIMERICK 26TH OCT

With not one Limerick trained runner, the crowd at Limerick's race meeting today was predictably small, on a day when Pat Martin achieved a notable training milestone.

Martin's Buddy Man win in the BETDAQ For Racing Handicap (division one) meant that the Navan based trainer has now trained winners at every Irish racecourse, while Buddy Man's jockey, 17 year old Stephen Gray, was recording his first winner in the saddle.

Carrying top weight, Buddy Man tracked the leaders before striking the front over a furlong out, eventually holding the challenge of Togher Castle by a length and a half.

Martin later reported 'that's the only track that I have never trained a winner at so it's great to have a full set of winning courses!' He added 'Stephen has been apprenticed to me for a year and is very hard working and deserves the success. He was Champion Pony Rider last year with 26 wins. The horse will now go hurdling and doesn't mind the soft ground.'

There was a controversial outcome to the BETDAQ For Football Handicap with first past the post Langkawi Bay demoted to second place following interference caused to the dead-heating pair of Bruegel and Barella.

Langkawi Bay drifted towards the right before drifting back towards both fast-finishing Bruegel and Barella well inside the final furlong. Somewhat surprisingly, Bruegel was awarded the race on his own while Barella was demoted to third.

Jockey Kevin Manning rode his first winner for Tim Doyle when Summer Magic landed the feature event, the BETDAQ Telephone Betting Race. Doyle later mentioned 'she likes soft ground and may stay two miles so we may school her over hurdles shortly. I thought the ground would help her against the higher rated horses running today.'

The opening BETDAQ-Betting Exchange Maiden went to John Oxx's Recite, under riding legend Michael Kinane.

The winner made all but was strongly pressed from two furlongs out, eventually holding the challenge of Ardea Brave by a length and a half. The trio rollover for the race amounted to E6.

Joe Crowley's Conquistadores fought off the challenge of fast finishing Ronsard to win the mile maiden while Otavi completed a double of wins for Pat Flynn and Christy Geoghegan in division two of the BETDAQ For Racing Handicap.

Thomas Weekes.