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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Keane doubles up on progressive Phoenix Cowboy

Wed 11th Aug 2021, 21:06

Phoenix Cowboy and Colin Keane race clear of Palace RockPhoenix Cowboy and Colin Keane race clear of Palace Rock
© Photo Healy Racing

Having been a close second on handicap debut at Ballinrobe last month, Phoenix Cowboy (7/2) went one better when readily winning the concluding McEnery Cup Handicap.

The Gleneagles gelding tracked the leaders before coming through to head the front-running Palace Rock (10/3) before the furlong marker and quickly went clear to score by four lengths.

Palace Rock took second with the 3/1 favourite Beyond Happy a further three quarters of a length away in third place.

It was a double at odds of a little over 75/1 for Colin Keane after his earlier win on Stormy Jenn

Tom Madden was unseated from the subsequently withdrawn Espouse on the way to the start and was sent for x-rays on his injured ankle.

Shane Lyons, assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, said: "It is great to win the McEnery Cup - John and Paul are great friends of ours, we've been lucky buying plenty of horses from them and their cousin Marie Lou (McEnery) is our secretary at home.

"Colin was delighted with him, we thought he wanted plenty cut in the ground but he loved that today, being on the easy side of good. He moved brilliantly, won well and that is going to open up a lot more doors.

"He'll get further, that was a 0-100 and a Premier Handicap could be his next target. He has allowed himself to get into a handicap on Champions Weekend so we'll have some fun."

Quotes from Thomas Weekes

1st
7/2
Tote €3.50 €1.50
2nd
4L
10/3
€2.00
3rd
0.75L
3/1Fav
€1.70
4th
hd
6/1
About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.