Big win for local syndicate

Owned by a syndicate from around the Ballinlough area, 50/1 outsider Lion Na Bearnai left the bookies smiling at Navan on Sunday when winning the Ten Up Novice Chase for Navan jockey Andrew Thornton. Trained in Kilskyre by Thomas Gibney, the 10-year-old won the Conynhgam Cup at Punchestown last May and on that occasion was returned at 10/1. The Lock Syndicate own Lion Na Bearnai and include Mick Farrelly (Stackallen), Pat Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Tom Gilsenan, Louis Leavy from Ballinlough and Dubliners Declan Carolan and Russell Gleeson. Totally unconsidered on Sunday, the gelding provided jockey Thornton with his biggest win going on from the second last to win a tremendous three-way tussle on the run-in from Four Commanders and Start Me Up. "That's my biggest win, I'm riding professionally for five years now and it's absolutely brilliant to ride my first grade two winner at my local track," stated Thornton. Thornton was also in the winners' enclosure at Dundalk on Friday night when he added another flat winner to his tally with success for Slane trainer Pat Martin on board Fleeting Moment. There was another Carberry success at the Dundalk track this time by Meghan Carberry, a cousin ofNina, Paul and the rest of the clan. She won with the Niall Madden-trained Shake The Bucket to get her track career off the mark. Another local trainer, Gillian Callaghan, was on a winner when she landed the opening race at Navan on Sunday with O'Connells Pike (14/1) which won for Dunshaughlin jockey Keith Donoghue.