O'Regan shines on Grade 3 winner Visionarian

Visionarian (9/2) landed the Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase under a fine ride from Denis O'Regan.

The winning of the race came after the last which the winner jumped in fourth. O'Regan managed to burrow his way through a gap that the front-running Sole Pretender had left on the rail and the seven-year-old turned for home in front. Call Me Lyreen gave chase up the hill but was held by three quarters of a length.

A dual winner over hurdles, Visionarian had made a winning debut over fences at Wexford earlier this month.

Winning trainer Peter Fahey said: “Galway is a great place and it's been lucky for us. To win a graded race is great but I got more of a thrill for Basil (Holian, owner) who is a great supporter of the yard. To have a winner here for him is brilliant.

“It was very competitive and a lot of them had high marks over hurdles but we always thought our lad would be better over a fence and he's starting to prove that.

“He looked a slow jumper over hurdles but we schooled him once over fences and he was electric.

“Jamie Codd picked him out at the sales over in Cheltenham for Basil and Colin Bowe always said 'wait till you see him jumping a fence'. You could see today he's rapid over them.

“This was the plan, we were keen to get a run into him over fences and then come here."

Quotes from Gary Carson