Getaday off the mark in dramatic chase

Jockey Darragh O'Keeffe completed a double at Thurles today as he steered the T.J. Nagle trained Getaday to a first career win, aged eight, in a dramatic Duggan Veterinary 4cyte Handicap Chase. Great Khan and Rachael Blackmore held a narrow lead jumping the final fence but blundered badly at the obstacle affording Getaday, which was three-parts of a length behind, a chance on landing.

On the run-in Getaday maintained his gallop and eventually held Great Khan by a length and three-parts.

Following the race, Co Cork based owner/trainer Nagle later reported “it took a while and I thought it looked a competitive race but I thought the ground might help him; he needs cut in the ground but it has been so deep. He is only a slow horse but is a winner now.”

Jockey O'Keeffe, who steered the Mick Winters trained Chatham Street Lad to a fourth-placed finish at Cheltenham on Thursday, was completing a double having won the 35-minutes earlier Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Chase on the Andy McNamara trained I'm A Game Changer