Rain for Rango - O'Sullivan hails first wet day

Rain arrived in time for Mr Rango (6/1) at Navan today, as he gained a first career win in the Gormanlough Apprentice Handicap (div II), for trainer Ross O'Sullivan and jockey Tom Kiely Marshall.

Kiely Marshall, based with trainer Joe Murphy, was recording his fourth career success and produced the son of Hallowed Crown to lead inside the final furlong, before beating Speckled Meadow by two and a quarter lengths.

Trainer O'Sullivan said “we were just waiting for the rain all year. He had run well on a couple of occasions but this is the first wet day in about three or four months and it definitely makes a difference.

“He is flat out in all his races and his stamina only comes into it the further he gets. The further the better with him and today with the rain it just made it a bit more of a stamina test for him.”

He added “he's a grand little horse, he's not over-big, and he had plenty of weight on him but he's been threatening to do that and hopefully he'll do it again.

“It's great for the owners John Harney and Paul Brophy and he runs in the same colours as Miss Florentine, who won three races for John last year.”

Quotes from Gary Carson