Special day for the McDonaghs as Happy Dreams battles his way to Tim Duggan glory

Three generations of the McDonagh family lined up for the post-race photograph after Mark McDonagh was seen to excellent effect on the bottomweight Happy Dreams in the Listed Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase.

Trained by his grandfather Michael, an infrequent visitor to the races over the years, the happy pair were joined by the rider's father Mark senior, a well-known owner based in Shannon.

It was a fifth win for Happy Dreams and the third time he had won over the course and distance, rounding off a good year for the veteran trainer. He was saddling his second winner of the meeting after the victory of Chainofconsequence on Tuesday.

"This Christmas has been good to us," he said. "This horse loves Limerick. He was well-in at the weights today, right in at the bottom of the handicap, and young Mark gave him a lovely ride."

"I was quite happy with the horses coming into this week. They were working okay, they were happy. You need a bit of luck on the day and I'm very happy with what we've achieved this week."

Local trainers make hay

It can be a struggle for local trainers to get on the scoresheet at this meeting, but a couple of Limerick-based handlers saddled winners on day three.

Eric McNamara's very consistent conveyance Storm Mahler got the better of Rusheen in a gripping finish to the 2m5f handicap hurdle in the hands of his son Conor.

The Michael Hannon-owned gelding got a good jump at the last and had his head down at the right time to just get the better of the handicap debutant by a nose.

"We've hit the crossbar a couple of times this week so it's great to finally get one," Eric McNamara said. "There was nothing between them, but I suppose we got a good jump at the last which was probably the winning of the race."

"We won on really heavy ground with him at Clonmel one day and we decided that we wouldn't run him on that sort of ground again. We had a chat about it this morning with the ground so bad here, but he was in such good form that we took our chance and if it didn't work out Conor was to mind him, but it worked out."

Charles Byrnes also hit the target in the bumper with the Ray Barron-ridden The Story So Far prevailing best off a slow gallop. Owned by a very enthusiastic bunch from the Ballingarry area, the imposing son of Westerner is a tribute to the trainer's patience as he was bought for €20,000 as a foal.

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