Mangan and Taaffe win bumper

Jockey Jane Mangan partnered her second racecourse winner at Fairyhouse today, winning the concluding Bobbyjo Restaurant At Fairyhouse Bumper on the Tom Taaffe trained Alexander Nevsky.

Mangan, who impressed when making a winning debut on the racecourse with Jamie’s Darling at Cork last April, produced the daughter of Accordion with perfect timing to defeat Wall Street Wally

Afterwards Taaffe stated “I’m delighted for his owner Yana Melnikova, who is the longterm girlfriend of Dr Michael Smurfit, and it’s good to be back amongst the winners again myself! The horses are staring to fire again thank god.

“We always liked Alexandr Nevsky and he is a well related horse. We took him out a few times recently as the ground was too soft - he is a good ground horse. If the ground stays good he might go hurdling or he could wait until the spring. He had a nice debut run at Sligo and the form has worked out well. As a national hunt four year old, it is nice to see him quickening up like that.”

Thomas Weekes