Nearest The Pin gets lucky in Ballinrobe

The fences are there to be jumped goes the old adage and backers of Passage Vendome were left rueing their luck when he gave the last too much air and crumpled on landing to hand Ballinrobe’s beginners’ chase to Nearest The Pin

Before Passage Vendome (9/2) lost his footing on landing after the last, he looked the likely winner as he held a two length advantage. Nearest The Pin, the 5/4 favourite from 2/1 this morning, and Barry Geraghty were left in the lead and with renewed vigour kept on well to the line. Usa was beaten five and a half lengths into second at 3/1, but he was 20 lengths ahead of Musawama (20/1).

“He deserved a nice change of luck and I’m delighted for the owners. They’ve stuck with him. It’s nice to see him win instead of going the wrong way,” handler Tony Martin said.

“In fairness when the other horse fell I was a bit worried about Usa, but he quickened up well on the run-in and left him for dead. When Barry got him straightened away he went. “We’ll try and run him in a big galloping track and we’ll make more use of his jumping and size.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes