Galway native McCarthy hits the Punchestown Festival jackpot twice with same horse
ONLY one horse won twice at the five-day Punchestown Festival and he was trained by a former Galway jockey.
Ian McCarthy pulled off this notable achievement with Fountain House who emphatically landed two cross country races at the National Hunt season finale.
A native of Kilbeacanty and with 83 winners on the track as a jockey, McCarthy's long-term plan is to aim the eight-year-old at the Cheltenham Festival’s cross country race next March.
Fountain House, who runs in his wife Nicola's colours, got the Punchestown Festival off to a cracking start for the McCarthy stable when romping home by 39 lengths in the Kildare Hunt Ladies Perpetual Cup in the opening race of the meeting last Tuesday week.
Commenting post-race, 37-year-old McCarthy said: “It was the plan all year to come here and it has worked out. I didn't think he'd do it that easy but he is a proper horse and we've had great fun along the way with him.
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“He is a family-owned horse, we own him ourselves and unfortunately his regular rider Eoin Mahon {from Beagh} was injured today. It was also Eoin that advised me to buy him and the horse hasn't looked back since then.
“I'm mainly into breaking and pre-training but keep a couple of these for the enjoyment. We'll get him home now and hopefully we might run him again on Friday or Saturday.
“It was the plan all year to come here and it has worked out. I didn't think he'd do it that easy but he is a proper horse and we've had great fun along the way with him
As it transpired, Fountain House took up his engagement in the Howden Cross Country Chase on the Saturday, and despite shouldering top weight and moving up in grade, the well-backed 11/8 favourite came home ten lengths clear of Fakie d'Oudairies.
“We brought him to Ballinesker Beach in Wexford after he won on Tuesday and it is lovely for the likes of this horse to freshen them up. We wouldn't have run him unless we knew he was 100% and we'll get him home now and mind him.
“There are a few weeks left in the point-to-point season but we'll do what is right by the horse. We will have to look for these races and possibly the La Touche next year for him. Poor Eoin Mahon has done all the work with this horse but unfortunately is injured. It's been a mighty week,” said McCarthy, who has a hunters' chase licence.
He also saddled Hearts and Spades to finish second in the Bishopscourt Cup last Friday, and the seven-year-old has been a prolific winner on the point-to-point this season, contributing six of McCarthy's 13 wins from only 23 runners.
Even champion trainer Willie Mullins would be proud of that strike rate.