Tasty winner for Winters and unflappable Blackmore

Crowsatedappletart sent off the 16/5 favourite, was a tasty winner for Michael Winters and Rachael Blackmore in the two-mile handicap hurdle.

Twice runner-up at Clonmel earlier in the year, the Soldier Of Fortune gelding made smooth headway from midfield approaching the straight and moved into second two out. Taking over in front before the last, he went on to readily account for Toon Town by three and three quarter lengths.

Winning trainer Winters was in good form afterwards and stated: "That's Rachael's first winner for me and she actually robbed us once at Tramore, when Darragh O'Keeffe (jockey and Winter's friend) was only a young fella. She was on the outside and pushed him around, causing a stewards' enquiry and the whole lot, but Darragh was only a baby at the time!"

He added "Crowsatedappletart is a character and Rachael rode him the last day when he stayed on after we gave her so many orders. We all kept our traps shut today and left her at it.

"He has a nice mark for fences now."

Regarding the horse's name, Winters said "I thought it was a terrible name, a horrible name", before owner Paul Mullins, from Ardagh, explained "during Covid myself and my partner Jane went to visit two aunts in Ballydesmond and we took two apple tarts.

"We dropped them off outside their doors, one aunt ate the whole tart but we got a text message from the other one saying 'crows ate the appletart'. When I saw the text I said that's the name."

Quotes from Tom Weekes