Keatley Flying in the training ranks

Adrian Keatley has made a bright start to his training career and Carraroe Flyer kept up the good work for the Dunlavin handler when taking the Wexford Racecourse On Facebook Apprentice Handicap.

Successful at Ayr last month, the four-year-old filly scored again here under Sean Corby.

The 14/1 chance (paid nearly 30/1 on the Tote) was sent to the front just entering the straight, and kept on well inside the final furlong to beat long-time leader Teochrios by a length and a quarter.

Hanger Five was a further length and a half back in third. Duarte Fernandes stumbled and fell on the bend two furlongs out bringing down Lastgirlstanding but thankfully riders Donnacha O’Brien (cuts and bruises) and Charlie Elliott were both able to walk away from the incident.

Keatley said, “It was my own fault the last day in Roscommon as the ground was too quick. It was the wrong track and the wrong trip, it was a few furlongs too short for her but it sharpened her a bit for today.

“It definitely sharpened her out of the gates, she was a bit sluggish out of the gates in Ayr but she was sharp today so maybe it was a blessing in disguise that we ran her over seven in Roscommon just to teach her the job a bit.

“She was run off her feet in Roscommon but this is her kind of distance and a little bit of an ease in the ground. Hopefully she'll win another couple of these.

“She won't go to Galway, we'll let all the big lads go to Galway! We might go to Cork the week after Galway for a mile and a half race. That's my fourth winner overall, I've had two in Ireland and two in the UK."

(Additional reporting by Donal Murphy)