Bookmakers get a Screamer in Fairyhouse opener

Screaming Colours scored the second biggest-priced win of the season at Fairyhouse today when upsetting at 80/1 in the opening Mongey Communications Beginners Chase and bridged a three and a half year gap between wins for his trainer William Durkan.

Durkan's previous racecourse success was with Mind The Pennies at Gowran in October 2014 and while Screaming Colours won a Ballingarry point to point last June, had been beaten all of 55 lengths on his previous start at today's same Meath venue in January.

The seven year old today picked up strongly on the run-in to head 8/13 favourite De Plotting Shed close home and score a length win.

Screaming Colours' 80/1 win was bettered only by Killahara Castle's 200/1 shock win this season, at Thurles on December 17.

Following today's race, winning jockey Roger Loughran stated “I rode him here in the spring but he made a noise and I said at the time he was a grand horse who tries but (for connections) to tidy up his wind.

“Michael (Fitzsimons, assistant trainer) said to me today 'I think you'll find a different horse' and he told me to jump out and be as handy as I could be as he probably wants 2m4f ideally.

“He winged the third last and I was getting into it and I was catching Davy (Russell on De Plotting Shed) the whole way down to the last and I could see him emptying. I jumped the last, gave my lad a crack and he stuck his head down and won well.

“He's a big horse and is probably maturing and filling into his frame. Michael likes him and he handled that ground today - I don't know what he'd be like on better ground.”

Quotes from Gary Carson