Aragon provides Landers with first winner

On his first start in a handicap hurdle Star Of Aragon just got up close home to give his rider Cathal Landers his first ever winner, in the Galway City Publicans Handicap Hurdle.

Trained by James Nash the winner showed little on his three maiden hurdle starts to date but had some decent form on the level to his name. His best run coming at Dundalk last October when finishing a neck second to Redera.

Carrying just 9-8, the winner tracked the leaders for much of the race before making his move approaching two out. He made a mistake at last but recovered well and stayed on best to get up by a neck from the front running Like The Da (9/2) back in second. Bessie Lou was a just a short head back in third under Barry Geraghty at 3/1, while the 2/1 favourite Baby Whizz ran no sort of race, finishing a well beaten six of the seven runners.

The winning son of Saffron Walden, who was returned at 12/1, was bred by Aidan & Annemarie O’Brien of Whisper View Training Ltd.

Winning trainer James Nash said afterwards: "We had no great plan with him. There was very few declarations and entries for this race so we said we would take our chance.

"We thought he would run well on Monday on the level (at Cork) but he disappointed. His owners (the Holly's Buddies Syndicate) were in Cork on Monday but they didn’t come here today."

The winning rider Cathal Landers, who was enjoying his first winner on the track, is 22 years old and from Oola, Co Limerick. He has been with James Nash for two years and before that he was with Enda Bolger, who he rode a point-to-point winner for.

After the race the Stewards suspended Barry Geraghty, rider of Bessie Lou, for a day for excessive use of the whip.

Donal Murphy