'Man for all seasons' completes Fairyhouse double

Trainer Michael Winters enhanced his reputation a little further with a double at Fairyhouse today as his Sayce Gold bolted up to win the Irish EBF (Mares) Point-To-Point Bumper and provide jockey Chris O'Donovan with a double on the day.

Winters' Rose Milan under O'Donovan, was a taking winner of the opener and prior to Sayce Gold's bumper run, the dual-Galway Hurdle winner boldly stated on RacingTV “Sayce Gold seems to be a class above Rose Milan; it wouldn't be a surprise if she won well.”

In the race Winters was proven correct as the Trevor Hemmings-owned Sayce Gold (2/1 second-favourite) made all the running and scarcely came off the bridle in beating well-touted debut point-to-point winner The Mean Queen by five lengths.

Following the race Winters, whose 463-day absent Chatham Street Lad landed a notable gamble at Ballinrobe last month, commented “she (Sayce Gold) was a bit free going to the start and that was the plan to make it if nothing went on. She got a canny ride.

“Trevor (Hemmings) was next door to us long ago and where we are living now we got it off him. He’s been good to us and is very good to people in Cork.

“I’ll have to talk to Mick Meagher (Hemmings' racing manager) and see what they want to do.”

Rebel Fitz provided Winters with a Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup win at today's venue in 2014 and also sent out Missunited to finish third in an Ascot Gold Cup but today sounded a note of caution, adding “we have a lot of young horses in the yard now but we needed something to keep us going.”

Quotes from Alan Magee