Promising apprentice jockey Ronan Whelan completed a double at Sligo this evening when steering Regresa A Mi to a hard-fought win in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Maiden.

The daughter of Spartacus got the better of both Donatis Comet and Melodie D’Amour for a narrow win.

Afterwards winning trainer Paul McEnery, based in Co Kilkenny, joked “I’ve been a long time waiting for that (last winner in July 2007)! I look at the cold trainers’ list and see my name getting near the top and I get worried!”

“Regresa A Mi was outclassed the last day but stays all day and is very game. She grounded it out there having looked on trouble two furlongs out - I’ll probably step her up in trip now.”

Thomas Weekes