Listowel report and preview: The former amateur champion Philip Fenton brought the curtain down on his illustrious riding career with a dramatic success on L'Antartique in yesterday's Listowel bumper. After looking sure to win easily when the evens favourite went to the front, Fenton faced major steering problems in the straight as L'Arntartique veered one way and then the other.
With Black Apalachi staying on strongly, the fairytale result looked in serious doubt but eventually L'Antartique got on to top by a length.
It was winner number 338 on the track for Fenton who trains from a 38-box stable in South Lodge in Tipperary but who enjoyed a huge reception yesterday. "He gave me some fright!" said the 38-year-old Limerick native. "I thought I was going to win easy but he rolled around and didn't know what to do. And I was getting tired!"
During his career Fenton managed the unusual double of being amateur champion jockey in both Britain and Ireland. A brief stay in Britain resulted in the 1988-89 title before returning to play a major role on the amateur scene at home. It wasn't until 1999 that he first won the championship, when tying with Paul Maloney, but he won the title outright in the following three seasons.
Fenton's sole Cheltenham Festival victory came on the Edward O'Grady-trained Loving Around in the 1996 National Hunt Chase but he also tasted major success at Aintree when Elegant Lord won the 1999 Foxhunters over the big fences. The 2002 Aintree Champion Bumper also fell to Fenton on Kickham. Edward O'Grady said yesterday: "It was an honour to have him associated with the stable and it will be a long time before we see the likes of him again."
Fenton himself nominated the 1991 Galway Hurdle success on the 25 to 1 Sagaman as the highlight of his career. "It was such a surprise to jump the last in front that day," remembered the jockey whose winners list also included Danoli on his first chase start at Clonmel.
Michael Hourigan labelled Paul Carberry "a genius" after the former champion jockey managed to persuade The Screamer into a winning display in the Smithwicks Handicap Hurdle. It was a screaming result for the bookmakers too as the 14 to 1 winner outpointed Poc Fada after the last with the favourite Native Stag only fourth.
"Without a doubt he is genius," claimed Hourigan who was saddling his first winner of the week. "I told him to drop out and settle her and he did a fabulous job. The reins were dangling the whole way. But I see other fellahs on her and she pulls because they are hauling away at her. I mean she's rated only 37 on the flat and she can't win!" Listowel, however, seems to bring the best out of the mare who won her first ever race here but who remains less than straightforward.
"She got a leg after that bumper, then refused to go in foal but we'll continue to try and win a flat race with her," said Hourigan who also saddled the second favourite Kilbeggan Lad whose chance was ruined at the third last. The topweight Dawn Invasion took a fatal fall here, breaking a shoulder, and Kilbeggan Lad suffered interference.
Hourigan wasn't the only one to break a festival duck and the John Oxx-Michael Kinane team did it in style with a double. Maralan powered through the field in the mile and a half handicap to comfortably beat the outsider Experimental but it was the newcomer Zarad that really took the eye by sluicing up in the mile maiden.
"A Stakes horse in the making," was Kinane's report and that might sway the Aga Khan team into persevering with the late maturing three-year-old a little longer. Both Zarad and Maralan are entered in next month's Goffs Sales but the former could yet be pulled out of that.
Dermot Weld also got off the mark with a double and Pat Smullen set the pattern for the day by racing wide in the straight on Set In Motion and winning by two lengths. "I took a chance in staying out wide. It was the only chance for a two-year-old. On the used ground they'd have sank!" Smullen said. Tasman completed the Weld double by holding the persistent challenge of Wing Of Fire by four lengths in the maiden hurdle.
The bookmakers' turnover yesterday was €1,721,991 which was considerably up on last year's figure of €1,427,273. The figure included €332,000 on the bumper. The Tote turnover was also up from last year's €429,835 to €455,796.
