'Natural advantage' helps Oliver to Sligo successes

Tyrone trainer Andy Oliver won successive Sligo maidens today with Band Width under Declan McDonogh, in the Tote Guarantee Median Auction Maiden.

Oliver's well-backed Count To Five won the opening maiden and Band Width was himself strong in the market and returned the 85/40f, having opened 5/1 this morning.

In the race, the son of Gutaifan, fourth on Cork debut last month, raced prominently and keenly, and eventually beat Shining Crystal by half a length.

Oliver later reported “he’s well-bred so we expected a bit from him. I trained his half-brother Shatharaat who I bought cheaply off Mark Johnston and he won well on his first start for me, but had issues afterwards and they caught up with him. Another half-sister of his won a Group 3.”

He added “he showed us a little bit last year, we haven’t done an awful lot with him this year and he’s improved from his first run. I like the way he fully got the trip (six furlongs) and it looked like he needed every yard of it.

“He has the toe for six and stays further so it gives us plenty of options. We were quite hopeful today but it’s easy to say that after the race!

“Part of the reason we’re lucky here is that we train on a right-handed track going up a hill so our horses tend have a natural advantage.”

Quotes from Mark Nunan