Deserved win for Carried & O'Callaghan

After filling the runner-up spot on his last two starts, Carried deservedly got his head in front in the first divide of the Support The Irish Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Chase.

Trained and owned in Co Armagh by Keith Watson, the eleven-year-old was beaten by just a neck on his penultimate start at Downpatrick, before again hitting the bar when second on the level at Navan.

Sent off an easy to back 13/2 chance (was as short as 3/1 this morning) today, the bay gelding was settled in second by Shane O'Callaghan.

He improved to lead with just under a circuit to race and soon went clear, keeping up the gallop in the straight, coming home twenty-two lengths to the good. My First Symphony (14s early, returned 9/2) plugged on to take second, while Olive D'Haguenet (12/1) was half a length back in third. Stormy Master was sent off the 4/1 favourite and he finished fourth. A bad mistake at the third last when attempting to close put paid to his chance.

"He was brilliant today. He was a bit unlucky in Downpatrick but today everything just seemed to fall his way and he did it lovely. Hopefully he'll go on and win a couple more now," O’Callaghan said.

"That's only my third winner and my first over fences. I'm based with Ted Walsh five days a week and I go up to the Watsons then for one day. Marshall (Watson) has been very good to me and gave me my last winner as well.

"I'm originally from Armagh and Gary Cribbin is my agent so hopefully his phone will start ringing a bit more now."

The winner was recording his first success since 2017, with his previous four wins coming on the level at Dundalk when trained by Prunella Dobbs.