Oneiroi and Ronan Whelan won for trainer Des Buckley © Photo Healy Racing
Oneiroi got up in the closing stages to deny the hotpot Yale in the sprint maiden at Navan this afternoon, giving his trainer Des Buckley a first 'track' success.
Ballydoyle colt Yale went to post a 4/6 shot for the extended five furlong contest and looked set for victory when hitting the front over a furlong out.
He couldn't repel the late surge of Oneiroi, however, who headed him in the last 50 yards to record a length-and-a-quarter success.
The 14/1 winner had been narrowly denied a couple of times at Dundalk earlier in the year for Tony Mullins.
He joined Des Buckley in the summer and had been well held in handicap company on two starts last month.
Buckley revealed:- “”He chipped a bone in his knee and that’s why he came back to me to be rehabilitated. I was pre-training him and I said I’d keep going with him.
“He had been second on the all-weather earlier in the year. He’s an honest little handicapper and we said we’d take a chance today on the soft ground.
“I’m from Newbridge and have a gallop near Monasterevin. I’ve done a lot of showjumping, hunting and point-to-pointing and rode a few races as an amateur.
“I’ve had the jump licence up to now but this is my first venture into the Flat. I took a chance when this horse came along and Ronan recommended him as a good one to get me started.
“I have two other horses but this is the stable star! I’ve had winners in point-to-points but this is my first on the track. I’ve had nine seconds in bumpers and hurdles.”
(Quotes by Alan Magee)
