The Killarney-born Oisin Murphy enjoyed a memorable day in the saddle as he rode Dragon Of Malta to a narrow success in the Kelleher Feeds & Agri Suppliers Ballymullen, Tralee Handicap at Listowel.
It was a first visit to the County Kerry track as a jockey for Oisin Murphy and it didn't take long for him to enter the winners' enclosure thanks to a gutsy performance from Pat O'Donnell's Dragon Of Malta.
The three-time British Champion Jockey was close to getting off the mark on his first attempt when Zephron went down by half a length in the Rose Hotel Handicap. However, in true Champion Jockey style, Murphy only had to wait approximately forty minutes to taste a first County Kerry success with the 10/3 market leader Dragon Of Malta prevailing by a nose from Mercurial and Brave Troop.
Murphy said: "I have lots of family here today and they'll be over the moon. The horse is also trained by an old family friend of ours, so it is a brilliant day.
"He had won well at Galway and while he didn't run so well at Roscommon, today he was perfect, and I had a willing partner up the straight.
"The O'Donnell family are from County Limerick and not too far from here and I've known them for years, so it is great to ride a winner for them."
He added: "It's great to be here. I spent lots of time as a child hanging around the weighing room, trying to get goggles off Ruby Walsh and Davy Russell and wanting to be a jockey.
"To ride a winner here is a big relief."
Elsewhere on the card, Maud Gonne Spirit, who was sent off a staggering 80/1, produced a goliath shock to land the Listed honours Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes for trainer Jessica Harrington.
Winning rider, Nathan Crosse, said: "She loves soft ground, Jessie and all the team have done a great job getting her ready for today as she hasn't had a whole pile of runs this year. It's very important for her to get a black-type win today,"
"We went a good gallop, her fitness was good, and she is a good, honest filly. Everything worked out perfectly."
Murphy would have been hoping Old Faithful could provide him with another Listowel success and first when riding for Aidan O'Brien in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Race, but it wasn't to be as the 7/4 favourite wandered under pressure and could only manage to fill the runner-up spot.
