Good World and Ricky Doyle (near side)© Photo Healy Racing
Good World scored a timely win for restauranteur owners Alfred Ma and Chun O'fan at Wexford today, landing the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Handicap Hurdle (division I) for trainer Eoin Griffin and jockey Ricky Doyle.
The son of Morozov benefitted from a 'no show' from half of today's customers as just seven of the 15 showed up, three being reserves and another five taking rain checks, and in the race showed real resolve to peg back leader Antigua Son on the run-in.
Griffin later admitted "I was a bit iffy this morning about running and, to be honest, I came into the office to pull him out but when I saw the non-runners I gave Ricky a call and he convinced me to run him!
“We aren't too far away and there was a lot of rain and he ran here in March on similar type ground and he was a bit iffy on it.
“He's the yard favourite, is a lovely little horse and is always in right order, so it's great to get a win out of him. It's not that he doesn't handle soft ground, he does, he is a little bit small and in the winter he struggles against the better quality horses. We were hoping for summer soft ground today, not this.
"It's my first winner for the owners - the Good World is a Chinese restaurant in Dublin so they are hoping to get back open pretty soon, they've had a hard time of it. Alfred Ma and Chun O'fan are the men involved and Chun is a good friend of mine and works for Alfred and introduced him to me. I'm delighted to have them in the yard."
Quotes from Donal Murphy
