Number 13 Dani's Boy is delivered with perfect timing to win under Declan McDonogh© Photo Healy Racing
The win of Dani’s Boy (50/1) in the David Heneghan Memorial Handicap at Ballinrobe meant plenty to winning trainer Pat Fahy with jockey Declan McDonogh telling him on return to the number one — “I could hear you shouting.”
It was last chance saloon for the Arakan gelding here as Fahy explained: “He’d stopped, just cut out, the last twice over hurdles after making it and we had to try something different here.
“We just said we’d hold on to him there. It seems to have worked and Declan was great on him.”
A very exciting finish saw distances of a neck, half a length, a head and a neck twice between the principals.
Fahy’s first winner since the return after lockdown was a bit keen in mid-division for McDonogh.
However, making ground and switched out to deliver his run from over a furlong out he was produced with precision timing to beat Han Solo by a neck.
The Stewards requested a report from P.A.Fahy, trainer, as to the apparent improvement in form of Dani's Boy placed first, as compared with its recent form.
P.A. Fahy reported that his charge made all of the running on his last run however finished disappointingly, and a change in tactics for today's race helped to bring about an improvement in form.
Having considered the evidence the Stewards noted the explanation offered.
A.C. Persse, rider of Dancing Doll trained by M. Flannery, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount reared up leaving the stalls.
(EM)
