Chef D'etat (right) beats Barton Snow© Photo Healy Racing
The Shark Hanlon-trained newcomer Chef D'etat got up in the shadow of the post to spring a 33/1 shock in the concluding bumper at Tramore, under American amateur Taylor Kingsley. Barton Snow looked like collecting in the two-miler when hitting the front a furlong-and-a-half from home and kicking a couple of lengths clear passing the one pole.
He couldn't hold the late charge of Chef D'etat however as the Ribchester gelding finished off strongly to grab a neck success.
Hanlon said: "This is very, very special because the man that owns this horse (Pierre Manigault), also owns Cape Gentleman who was hurt in the Grand National and he came back out of the clinic only yesterday.
"Taylor's father trains horses for Pierre in America and I sold this horse to Pierre only a couple of months ago. I think he is a very good horse.
"Taylor is only 17 and she came over to us last November for three months. She went back to America then and had 11 rides and rode eight winners.
“I'd love to have her around here the whole time, she is a great girl. I have a bumper picked out for him in England on the 28th of this month and Taylor will ride him again."
Kingsley added: "Last fall we bought Cape Gentleman for these owners and that put me in contact with Shark.
“Cape Gentleman didn't exactly plan out as we had hoped but he is safe, healthy and happy back at Shark's now.
"My dad Arch is a National Hunt trainer back at home and that's how I got my start. I'd ride all of our bumper horses back home and he has really helped me to get my foot in the door with some of the big trainers.
"I rode my eighth winner in America about a week before I came over here, so this is my ninth all together. I'm finished high school and while I'd be quite good in school, this last year I didn't put that much effort into it, I got carried away with the racing. I'm done with it now and not looking back!
"I'm from South Carolina, which is obviously in the south, and a lot of our racing would be in Virginia, Maryland, Pennslyvannia, it's more up north. There are a few meets down south too.
"I'm assistant trainer for my dad so I'm going home and taking a string up north for the summer, while dad will stay down south.
"The plan would be to come back this winter, if Shark would have me back!"
(Quotes by Donal Murphy)
