Vado Forte defies topweight to win for Elliott and Kennedy

Vado Forte gave weight and a beating to his nine rivals when staying on stoutly to win the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase at Galway.

A three-time winner for Tom Lacey when trained in Britain, the Walk In The Park gelding made a winning Irish debut for Gordon Elliott at Limerick last October but had shown little since then.

Having travelled well in front rank this afternoon, the nine-year-old was sent on by Jack Kennedy after jumping the last. Soon ridden, he looked there for the taking on the long run-in, as both Benefit Run and Ferdia stalked in behind.

However, despite Benefit Run bagging the rail and momentarily getting his head in front close home, Kennedy found that he had a willing partner, with Vado Forte refusing to be denied.

Jack Kennedy, riding his first winner of the week, said; “It’s been a long, tough week but it’s nice to get that now.

“I was hoping he’d run well but wasn’t expecting him to do that. The day in Limerick when he won we let him on early and he stayed galloping so we did something similar here and it worked.

“He’s really dug deep. He stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee