Count Salazar gets his reward

Count Salazar determinedly won the Ennis Handicap Chase in Galway to snap a string of second placed finishes.

It had been three runner-up berths in-a-row for Eoin Doyle’s eight-year-old gelding, but he made no mistake today.

He travelled and jumped well and assumed the lead jumping the second last in this two and three quarter mile race. It’s a long way home from there though in Galway and Jody McGarvey was seen to good effect working hard at stoking up his mount on the home bend.

Challengers started to loom, not least Goonyella who wasn’t able to get his head in front as Count Salazar proved relentless in front in landing the prize by a length and a half at 6/1. The runner-up came in at 11/2, well backed from 8/1 on course. Unoccupied also saw money from 12s to 8/1 and his supporters got a place dividend when he came in third. The 11/4 favourite Bruff from 6/1 this morning, finished sixth.

“He was jumping so well that he got to the front sooner than I would have liked.

He’s a tough old horse and he stayed at it well,” Jody McGarvey said.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes