Gift gets Fogarty off the mark

Gift Banda provided Jonathan Fogarty with his first success in the training ranks, as he took the opener at Bellewstown, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 2yo Maiden.

Seventh of ten on his debut at Down Royal earlier this month, the son of Compton Place was sent off an 8/1 chance here with Daniel Redmond in the saddle.

Settled in second on the outer, he was ridden to challenge with a furlong to race, getting to the front close home, just prevailing by a short head. Madam Bounska who was sent off the 4/7 favourite, had to settle for second after she attempted to make all under Wayne Lordan.

The Denise Foster trained bay gave a jump at the road a furlong out, and that certainly didn't help her cause.

Fogarty, who is a brother of National Hunt jockey Mikey Fogarty, said afterwards: "I'm delighted. He battled well to the line.

"He was unsold as a yearling and at the breeze-ups so the only option was to go to the track."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson