The O'Doherty's Audio & Video (Pro/Am) Flat Race was a one horse race if the market was to be believed with Willie Mullins' Arvika Ligeonniere going off at 2/5. However out on the track Al Ferof the second favourite totally took over from the quarter mile pole to prevail by all of ten lengths.
Mikey Fogarty (4th winner) deputised on this French-bred grey for Robbie McNamara. McNamara picked up an injury on the gallops this morning.
Liz Doyle trains the winner for Martin Murphy and she said: "He won it very very well. There wasn't much of a gallop on the last day and that bumper worked out super, really really well and he's improved a lot from it. He could be a Cheltenham bumper horse, if he improves. He couldn't have done it any better today. He won't jump a hurdle until this time next year, he is fairly backward."
Barry Murphy, partner of the winning trainer, who sent Al Ferof out to win a point-to-point at Athlacca, said: "Martin who owns him is an uncle of my own, a brother of my father's, Ferdy (prominent English-based trainer). My other uncle, another brother of Ferdys, bought him as a foal and my aunty kept him until he was three. I got him then and it's a family thing. It's great when it works out. It was a good day for the yellow bellies (fellow Wexford trainer, John Berry had a winner too)."
