Eric McNamara© Photo Healy Racing
Hospital travelled strongly in the beginners’ chase at Wexford and stayed on stoutly to take the spoils for Eric McNamara and Mark Walsh.
Walsh brought him through to race on the heels of Carhue before delivering his challenge after two out. He was still going well in the home straight, but had two horses still involved in the race – Classic Event and Art Lord
Of the two, Classic Event looked the stronger rival as he had crept through the race from rear and arrived at the business end full of running. He looked held though in second before falling at the last. This left Art Lord to take the runner-up berth at 16/1.
Carhue was the gamble of the race from 6/1 to 3/1 in trading before racing started. His SP was returned at 7/2 and he got third for his each way backers, 17 lengths behind Art Lord.
Winning trainer Eric McNamara said: "He jumped great and it was the winning of the race really. He got the job done and I have no real plans for him now.
"Novice chases all over the country are so hot nowadays so it was nice to get a race for him in his own bracket as this race was for horses rated 109 or less over hurdles. He is a nice horse and he won’t run on really bad ground."
This was a second Wexford winner today for jockey Mark Walsh who won the big race on Double Seven and a third success for owner JP McManus, who also had a winner in Galway this afternoon.
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy
