Happy Jacky © Photo Healy Racing
A four-time winner for Ray Hackett, Happy Jacky (14/1) made all the running to land the Paul & Carmel Fay Memorial Handicap Hurdle on his second start for Mark Fahey.
Paddy Ryan's homebred shrugged off the challenge of Henning on the run to the last but was all out to hold on by a nose as Donacheady Gale ate up the ground on the run-in.
Fahey said: “He ran a belter in Galway before (second at the Festival in 2022) so that is something that we could think about and there is a nice conditions race in Cork.
“The horse is not getting any younger andwe’ll enjoy today anyway. It’s great to get a win like that.”
Winning rider Peter Smithers added: “It would have been my own fault (if he got beaten) as I stopped riding a bit early.
“I’d say you can’t go hard enough on him and he jumps well. If something was going to go on then we’d sit second.
“He’s an honest old horse and I’d say there’s still another few in him.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
