Listowel 1999 will always be a fond memory for 18-year-old amateur Brian Murphy who displayed astonishing confidence for a jockey with just one previous winner when landing yesterday's Aer Raianta Handicap on Spokesman.
The Fermoy born rider, attached to Christy Roche's yard, made ground to track the odds on favourite To Your Honour into the final furlong but when most would have kicked, Murphy just waited, and then waited some more.
To Your Honour was under heavy pressure but it was only with 50 yards to go that the hitherto motionless Murphy asked Spokesman to quicken and the partnership scored by a very cheeky neck.
It was also a memorable day for locally born rider Cyril Goodwin who made up almost 10 lengths from the last on Proud Bishop to pip the joint favourite Experimental in the handicap hurdle.
Another odds on favourite to bite the dust was Adelphi Theatre in the Nursery. A winner at 6 to 1 at Tralee, he was beaten before the straight behind the all the way winner Beaver Lodge.
Ballad singer Paddy Reilly owned the Beginners' Chase winner Louis Fourteen who took best advantage of the second last fence fall of It's Time For A Win.
The Listowel stewards handed a massive 42-day ban to the race horse Ballygarvan who finished fifth in yesterday's bumper. The horse's jockey Damien Murphy received a 21-day ban for making insufficient effort and the Innishannon, County Cork-based trainer John Joseph Murphy was fined £500 for using the race course as a schooling ground.
