Fortunate favours Frenchman after final flight fall

Frenchman Nicholas Terrassin gained a timely second winner in Ireland today at Ballinrobe, as the soon-to-return-home jockey landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Handicap Hurdle on fortunate winner Whatucallher

The race featured 145-rated chaser Abbey Magic competing from a 31lbs lower hurdle mark, but approaching the final flight Sit Down Lucy under Shane Fitzgerald, had taken the lead travelling well, past both Abbey Magic and Whatucallher.

Sit Down Lucy was three lengths clear jumping the last but edged slightly to her left, unseating Fitzgerald on landing, which left Whatucallher with a clear advantage on the run-in. Jockey Terrassin had to negotiate his way past loose Sit Down Lucy but Whatucallher stayed on to beat Abbey Magic by eight lengths.

Following the race joint-trainer Patrick Harty revealed “unfortunately Nico (Terrassin) is supposed to be going back to France for the winter but we might change his mind after this. Nico gets on great with her and gets a great tune out of her.”

He added “we sent her chasing and she wasn’t in love with it, she wasn’t in love with the winter ground. But chasing has made her into a really good jumper of a hurdle. She’s very accurate and very quick even when she doesn’t meet them right.

“She’s loving life this summer and is remarkably consistent. She just loves 2m4f to three-miles over hurdles, stays really well and never stops to the line.”

Whatucallher was previously successful under Terrassin at Punchestown on May 30, when winning her race in the stewards' room, thus providing Eddie and Patrick Harty with a first winner as joint-trainers.

Quotes from Alan Magee