First win for Rothwell's Phils Choice

Phils Choice (9/1) registered a first career win today, gaining the overdue success at her bogey course at Limerick, landing the Mr. Binman (Mares) Handicap Hurdle under jockey Sam Ewing and for trainer Philip Rothwell.

Placed in seven of 14 previous runs, the five-year-old's most agonising defeat came at today's venue in November 2022 when running-out - with the race at her mercy, at the second-last.

Today Phils Choice arrived to challenge Millstream Lady entering the home straight and battled to beat that rival by a half-length.

Rothwell wasn't present and afterwards Ewing reported “Philip wanted me to drop her in but we were going very slow going up the hill the second time and she was jumping and travelling so well, I ended up jumping into a position too soon.

“She had a good look at the last two hurdles but to be fair to her, stuck her head out and battled well. She did it well in the end.”