Ballyboker causes surprise in banks' race

The Peter Maher trained 20/1 shot Ballyboker Bridge led an outsider's 1-2 in the opening P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase at Punchestown today, beating 66/1 runner-up Owens Pride

Ballyboker Bridge was supplying his amateur jockey Gary Murphy with a second racecourse winner on the track (previous winner was in a hunters chase at Cork in April 2012) and the pair finished strongly on the run-in to head Owens Pride inside the closing stages.

Eight to eleven favourite Quantitative Easing never threatened and was well held in fourth place.

Following the win, Maher, who specialises in banks' horses and is best known for his handling of Cheltenham Festival Cross Country Chase winner Big Shu, stated "he (Ballyboker Bridge) wants a bit better ground and all the work is down to Gary and Michael Bates who I bought him off.

"They told me he was a good one and they were right. The rest is history and here he is now at 33/1 - there's plenty of room in the pond for the little fish."

Ballyboker Bridge is now ineligibille from a prestigious banks race at the Punchestown Festival and Maher quipped "I don't have a runner now for the Ladies Cup so I'm disgusted!"

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson