Sequoiaspirit and Liam Quinlan© Photo Healy Racing
Pint-sized Sequiaspriit (28/1) credited ‘small trainer’ Ray Hackett with a big race-day success at Navan today, landing the Bar One Racing "Bet 10 Euros Get 50 Euros Sign Up Offer" Tara Handicap Hurdle, under jockey Liam Quinlan.
A six-time Flat winner, the Mainsail-sired gelding had been an 18-race hurdles maiden despite having finished second seven times and, today, raced with the pace before eventually getting the better of runner-up Sa Fureur and 21 other horses, on the run-in.
Nenagh-based Hackett, whose best performer was triple-and-Listed bumper winner Crackerdancer, said “we are used to tipping away quietly on a Wednesday or a Thursday so come up here and do that, I really enjoyed it. Dad owns the horse and I'm delighted for him.
“It is hard to believe that this is his first win over hurdles. He is a cracking little horse although a clever man would stay on the Flat, wouldn't he! I just always thought there was a nice race in him over hurdles.”
He added “I was a bit worried with the step up in trip and with the ground going (to yielding), but he saw it out well. He's so small and it just takes a while to get to know him: Liam (Quinlan) knows him inside out now. For a little horse, you'd think he’d be mad going down the inside in a big-field handicap, but he loves it! He thrives on that. He doesn't realise he is only 15hh - he thinks he is 17.1 or 17.2!
“The horse is plucky, the jockey is plucky and when you have the two, it is a big help.
"We have only around 10 or 12 in training, we tip away and are very lucky to have Liam Quinlan, who does all the hard work. The bigger operations are getting bigger and the smaller lads are getting smaller but when you have one that is competitive, it is nice."
Quotes from Michael Graham
