Mickey Cohen (U S Navy Flag) handed trainer Noel Meade his 3,000th career winner at Fairyhouse on Tuesday. The 15-2 shot claimed the Christmas Parties at Fairyhouse December 12th Handicap Hurdle by a nose in the hands of Sam Ewing. The 75-year-old was at 2,999 after Wynette (Coulsty) won at Navan on October 21.Meade told the Press Association, “I wasn't aware I was coming up to reaching it [3,000 winner] and since I was told it's been like looking for hen's teeth! I just couldn't seem to get one past the post and I thought this one was beat as well. Thankfully he got up and it's great.”His training career started in 1970 at the age of 19. Meade's first winner was Tu Va in 1971, and his stables in Castletown, County Meath are named in his honour. Sweet Mint was the first Royal Ascot success for Meade, securing the 1978 edition of the Cork and Orrey Stakes, later known as the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.A seven-time Irish National Hunt Champion Trainer, Meade is responsible for dozens of Grade 1 winners over fences, among them: Road To Respect, Harchibald, Go Native and last year's Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury, while he has trained seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival, the most recent being The Mourne Rambler in the Champion Bumper in March.Other career highlights include the Irish Grand National triumph of The Bunny Boiler in 2002 and a first Group 1 winner on the Flat with Helvic Dream in the 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh.“I have to say I have enjoyed every minute of my training career, I love what I do and it's a pleasure to be able to make a living out of doing something I enjoy so much,” the trainer added, now sitting in fourth on winners behind fellow active Irish trainers Willie Mullins, Aidan O'Brien and Dermot Weld.“It's something I can be proud of. It might be something that becomes more common with the yards they have now and the amount of racing there is, but over the years and when we were at our peak, there wasn't as much racing and there wasn't as many horses. We're very happy to have achieved this anyway.“All of the winners are important and great but one that really stands out and I enjoyed more than any was Pinch Hitter winning at the Galway Festival in 1981. The horse belonged to a very good friend of mine and it's one that has always stuck out.“But they are all great, all those big races we've been lucky to win down the years – the bigger they are the more you enjoy them and we've had some lovely horses under both codes.“I've been lucky enough to have some great jockeys riding for me over the years and I'm still incredibly lucky to be able to do this for a job.”The post Meade Saddles 3,000th Winner At Fairyhouse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.