Tom Weekes
Bolger & Manning continue excellent form with Gasta
Gasta (nearest, 11)
© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Jim Bolger and stable jockey Kevin Manning continued their excellent start to the new season at Cork today as the pair landed the Follow Us On Twitter Handicap with Gasta
Perennially slow-starting Gasta was today scoring just a second career success almost two years since her debut win at the Curragh in May 2017 and following the race Ger Flynn, Bolger's travelling head man, stated "Kevin said he was lucky in-running and that the gap opened at the right time. Jim has been very good to the apprentices in Dundalk this year and Ger O'Neill has been riding her this winter and has been getting plenty experience on her.
"She has come down the ratings from running in Dundalk but she has been running good consistent races. Getting her out of the gates is the big thing as she has been slow away a few times. Kevin got her out smart today but it was a messy race and we got a bit of luck so we'll take that.'
The win was Bolger's eighth success of the new term, making him the leading trainer at this early stage of the season, while Manning was registering his seventh success and thus joined Chris Hayes on top of the Jockeys' Championship.