Nicole's Milan strikes for Aherne & Enright

Nicole’s Milan (11/1) won the Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council Best Turned-Out League Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Phillip Enright.

The strong-staying ten-year-old was settled behind the leaders and was pushed along in second place turning into the straight. Call Me Freddie was travelling best at the head of affairs at that point but he was headed by the winner at the last.

Nicole’s Milan, trained by Sean Aherne in Conna Co. Cork, kept on strongly on the run-in to beat Fizzlestick by four and a half lengths with Call Me Freddie another length and three quarters away in third.

Enright said: “Sean (Aherne) does a brilliant job with all the horses he has and that’s his fourth win around here — horses for courses.

“Sean said he was in good form since the last day when around the inside in Punchestown was probably a bit tight for him.

“He has form over three miles so I knew from the home bend that he would gallop all the way to the line. Every time I asked him he pick up a bit and I got the better jump at the last which sealed it.

“Eoin Barry (owner) is in America but he’ll get a great kick out of this. He’s a great little horse.”

Quotes from Alan Magee