Annie Fior and Adam Farragher© Photo Healy Racing
Annie Fior got Brendan Murphy off the mark in the training ranks at Leopardstown on Saturday and she today followed up in the second split of the BetVictor Bet #5 Get #30 Offer Handicap at Gowran.
Again with Adam Farragher in the plate Annie Fior (7/2 favourite) got the job done, this time by three parts of a length and a neck from Midnitemudcrabs and Nisior Donn
An exciting conclusion to the seven furlong event saw Solomons Seal stay on nicely for fourth, half a length back.
“That was brilliant to say the least,” said Murphy.
“We knew leaving Leopardstown the last night that we were going to have challenge on our hands in order to do it with weight on her back.
“I thought the ground was going to be a little more more testing than what it is here. It just suited her down to the ground.
“I found her highly impressive coming to the finish, the way she battled, she started to pull away again.
“She's going to get a break now, two or three weeks off, and we'll sit back and see where we'll go from there. We'll see what the summer ground will throw at us.
“I did make a mistake running her at Dundalk all winter. She definitely wants an ease in the ground.
“I think we just weren't working her hard enough, the harder you give it to her the better she is going. Hopefully we could get a bit of black-type at some stage, we'll see what the summer will throw.”
The Stewards interviewed A.J. Farragher, rider of Annie Fior, concerning his use of the whip in the latter stages of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned in the presence of his Master Michael Halford. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Stewards were of the opinion that A.J. Farragher was in breach of R10 (3)(f) by using his whip with excessive frequency. The Stewards cautioned A.J. Farragher.
N.G. McCullagh, rider of Kodianne trained by M.Halford, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount ran keen to the start and also early in the race until fading at a later stage.
(GC & EM)
