Shamiran takes Martinstown Final again The sponsor's heavily backed favourite Oscar Knight was brought down by Waydownsouth's third flight fall in the Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown, and in the end the two and a half miler threw up a familiar tale with 2012 hero Shamiran going in again. Any number of the big field shaped as potential winners, most notably Eight Till Late and Cassells Rock, but ultimately Shamiran (33/1) fought them all off under Andrew Ring, to provide Kilcock-based handler Stephen Nolan with another day to remember. Shamiran crossed the line three parts of a length, a short head, and half a length up on the aforementioned Cassells Rock, the 'finisher,' Sir Ector, and Russian Bill. "I was actually lucky to get on him. I had no ride yesterday morning at half eleven. My agent Alan Donoghue got me up on him," revealed Ring. "He said he had a chance, Stephen said he had a chance too and he told me to ride him with plenty of confidence and that if he was good enough he'd win. "My biggest win so far came a couple of weeks ago for John Cullen (Misty Lady) down at Cork in a Grade C Handicap, so things are going okay. "I'm twenty four now, I'm having a good year this year, and I'll just keep working away like everyone else." For his part Nolan said: "He's only back with me about three months, and he'd a nice run at Fairyhouse over two miles six, which was a good prep run for today. Ian McCarthy rode him that day and deserves a lot of the credit as he's schooled him. "The big shower before racing helped him. Punchestown has always been lucky for me and to have a winner at the Festival is unbelievable. I knew by his work at home that he was strong. I've ten riding out at the moment." Kevin Sexton won the Martinstown Series and Pat Fahy was the leading trainer. C.D. Maxwell, rider of Westerners Son trained by Dermot Anthony McLoughlin, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount never travelled on the ground. (AM & EM)
