Carberry back with a winner

Paul Carberry returned to action at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday and guided Aran Concerto to win the big race by a short head in the Powers Gold Cup. Carberry had been on the injured list since he sustained a fall at Cheltenham last month. Trained by Noel Meade who had suggested in his weekly column in the Meath Chronicle for the last few weeks that he was targeting this race. 'We always knew he jumped very well, he quickened well and I knew coming to the last that I had a chance,' stated Carberry who dismounted the horse before returning to the winners" enclosure. The trainer confirmed on Monday that Aran Concerto would be unlikely to run again this season There was a real Meath finish to the race as Navan businessman Eamonn Duignan owns the runner-up, Barker, which was ridden by David Casey Drumree jockey Barry Geraghty maintained his fine form with a good win in the second race at Fairyhouse. Geraghty recorded a treble at Haydock on Saturday and his Fairyhouse winner on Sunday completed a double for trainer Dessie Hughes who also won the opening race on the card. Geraghty, who is only the eighth jockey to have won the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National, was also thrilled to get off the mark at his local track. 'She"s a good mare, I fancied her, I had a couple of other options in the race, but I"m glad I made the right choice,' stated Geraghty who added that he was looking forward to riding Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi in the big race at Puncnestown in a couple of weeks. Cortown jockey Roger Loughran won the opening race when he steered the Hughes-trained 25/1 outsider Sarteano, which had good form on the flat in Germany, to victory in the hurdle race. Carberry was a fast-finishing second on the Noel Meade-trained Jewel Of The West. English raider Niche Market won Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National on Monday from the Luke McNiff-partnered Church Island Geraghty was out of luck in the big race, but was on the mark with Big Zeb in the King Crisps Hurdle which had too much in the tank for the Tony Martin-trained Psycho while another local jockey, Keith Clarke was successful with Coolcashin.