Cool Clements gets Ted Veale up

Steven Clements gave Ted Veale an ultra cool ride, as he got the Tony Martin trained gelding up to win the irishmirror.ie Qualified Riders race.

The classy six-year-old son of Revoque won a similar contest over the course and distance in July, before finishing a disappointing eight of twenty in the Galway Hurdle when sent off the 7/2 favourite.

The John Breslin owned County Hurdle winner, tracked the leaders for much of the race, and he looked in trouble under two furlongs out as he was being pushed along by Clements.

However he responded well to pressure, coming between Alhellal and Que Pasa 200 yards out, hitting the front in the shadow of the post to score by three parts of a length.

Alhellal (12/1) ran a cracker in second under Declan Queally for Maurice Phelan, while Que Pasa was a neck back in third under Jane Mangan for Harry Kelly at 4/1.

When asked about the winning ride, Tony Martin said: “Fair play to Steven!”

He was then asked whether Ted Veale would take up his engagement in the Ebor at York on Saturday and he said: “We will bring him home and see how he is in the morning. I’m not ruling it out, it is a possible, but this wasn’t the ideal prep.

"He has lots of options, the flat, hurdles or novice chasing, so the Ebor isn’t everything. I’m delighted, that was a great performance.

"There is only one Galway Hurdle, but the ground was too soft for him there."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham