Staysound Susie and Ben Coen (centre)© Photo Healy Racing
Owner/breeders the Dreamers & Believers Syndicate enjoyed a local winner at Tipperary today as their Staysound Susie (2/1) gained a deserved first success in the @tipperaryraces Maiden, for trainer Andy Slattery and jockey Ben Coen.
Slattery's son jockey Andrew was suspended so missed the winning ride, with his cousin Coen substituting when making all on the U S Navy Flag-filly, which beat 8/15f Gaenari by 1.5 lengths.
Staysound Susie has previously met traffic when finishing an unlucky third in October's Birdcatcher Premier Handicap and today Slattery senior stated “she was unlucky not have have won the Birdcatcher but I thought the trip might be short for her. She will stay seven (furlongs) but the soft ground helped bring in her stamina.
“We planned to hold her up but they didn't go fast enough so with the fact she stays seven, Ben said he'd kick on and he was able to dictate. We might go for a better handicap somewhere along the line over six or seven furlongs.”
He added “the six lads are all from Fethard and they bred her. One is a bread man, another a retired superintendent, there's a farrier from Coolmore and another's father trained the winner of the Galway Hurdle — they're delighted.”
