Grabim wins well for McNamara & Maguire

Quick Grabim followed up on an encouraging debut effort at Cork, as he ran out a good winner of the bumper at Leopardstown, the Donohoe Marquees Flat Race.

Trained by Robbie McNamara, the son of Oscar found the unbeaten Monbeg Worldwide just half a length too good on his debut at Cork last month.

Having opened at 3/1 on-course today, he touched 10/3, before going off the well-supported 9/4 second favourite.

Settled in second by Finian Maguire, he dropped a place to third on the approach to the straight.

He travelled strongly to come with his challenge on the outer with two furlongs to race, and he hit the front at the furlong pole, staying on well when ridden inside the final furlong, going on to score comfortably by five lengths. Line Out who made good ground from over two furlongs out, was squeezed for room with a furlong left to race, and that certainly didn't help his cause.

The John Kiely trained bay eventually finished second at 7/1 under Derek O'Connor. Burren Life was sent off the even money favourite, and he was another four and a half lengths back in third, with Jamie Codd in the saddle for Gordon Elliott.

Robbie McNamara said afterwards: "He's a nice horse. We thought he'd win the first day and the ground went against him.

"He did everything wrong the first day. He was keen and then he got idle when he hit the front.

"It was the same today. He did everything wrong and was well entitled to get himself beat.

"We planned to drop down the rail as he had been keen the last day but he never spat it out.

"Even when he got into second he was still keen. I wouldn't have been surprised if he fell in a hole but he did it well and did what we thought he'd do.

"I thought he'd switch off a bit better than that and he has a bit to learn. We'll take our time with him.

"The plan before he even ran was the champion bumper at Punchestown as we thought a lot of him.

"I don't want to go to Cheltenham with him as he'd be too immature to go there. We have one or two others that might go there.

"He's a lovely horse and will be a lovely horse next year. He's done a lot of schooling and jumps great.

"He's a grand and relaxed horse at home but has a lot of growing up to do.

"Finny's a brilliant rider. He's claiming 5 pounds and it’s a pure rob. He made a difference there. He was keen the whole way even in the second half of the race. He never relaxed.

"He looked like he might have been a bit cocky but he was leaving him to fill himself up. He makes horses like that look like they win easy whereas someone else could nearly get them beat.

"We've a nice bunch of horses to come out and have 16 bumper horses.

"We had a bunch of four ready to run on the first day and then had nothing to run."

"I have three horses for Mr Worcester. I have Rathcannon, that fella, and a lovely four-year-old who will go to Naas for the first four-year-old bumper of the new year. He wouldn't be a million miles behind Quick Grabim."

"I will have a lot of bumper runners between now and the end of February. If you have a fiver each-way on the lot of them you won't be going too bad!"

STEWARDS REPORT

The Stewards enquired into possible interference in the straight involving Burren Life, ridden by Mr J.J. Codd, placed third, Line Out, ridden by Mr D. O'Connor, placed second and Quick Grabim, ridden by Mr F. Maguire, placed first, where it appeared Line Out ran short of room.

Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards made no alteration to the Judge's placings. The Stewards however found Mr. F. Maguire in breach of Rule 214 by riding carelessly and having taken his good record into account suspended him for two race days.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson