Serious Challenge does Bolger family proud

Serious Challenge was a poignant winner for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning at Galway. Okyle Lass led but was collared by odds-on-favourite Hiawatha two and a half furlongs down. Kevin Manning on Serious Challenge was keen to keep his mount in close attendance as the pair ranged upsides Hiawatha at the two pole.

Serious Challenge did just that and led narrowly turning for home. He was ridden with a furlong to race to try and get the better of Hiawatha who was boxing on in the inner.

Serious Challenge toughed it out best in the testing conditions and won by three parts of a length at 9/2. Hiawatha, a brother of Group 1 winner Luxembourg, had to settle for the runner-up berth at 8/15.

Una Manning said: “My uncle Paddy, dad's brother, passed away a couple of hours ago.

"He was the person that ran the foaling operation for my father, the stud farm operation down in Wexford, assisted by his son Ken and his wife Margarite.

“Uncle Paddy actually had a winner this time last year in Galway. It's poignant because he always came to Galway and they loved the meeting so I'd just like to pay tribute to him and offer my condolences to all his family.”

On the winner she added: “I think the run earlier in the week certainly stood to him today.

“He's a horse we like a lot. He's entered in the Futurity and that will probably be the plan with him.

“According to my father we won't see the best of him until next year.

“I think he'll handle that kind of ground and handle good ground and better as well.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson