Wood defies top-weight on handicap debut

The beautifully bred Speckled Wood justified 7/4 favouritism under top-weight in the Carrick-On-Suir Mares Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel.

A daughter of the high class racemare Like-A-Butterfly, she opened her account in a Thurles maiden last month and showed here that an initial rating of 116 is far from the limit of her ability.

Jody McGarvey was happy to track the pace set chiefly by Miss Palm and Lead Kindly Light although he did have to shake up the five-year-old to challenge approaching the last.

However she soon settled the issue by quickening up early on the run-in to beat Lead Kindly Light (11/4) by three and three quarters of a length, with Castle Genie (12/1) staying on nicely another two and a half lengths back in third.

Owner J P McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said, “She jumped great and handled the ground. Jody gave her a good ride, and she’ll go for another handicap. She is very game.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes