Rudy Catrail and Shane Fenelon © Photo Healy Racing
The Bellamianta Luxury Tanning Handicap Hurdle (Div I) went to the 9/4 favourite Rudy Catrail who made all in customary fashion to record his third win from his last four starts.
At this level of competition, the 9-year-old can maintain a gallop that gets his rivals out of their comfort zone and that was once again the case on this occasion.
Recent winner Laughing Trix tried to chase him down after the second last but got tired in so doing, as Moyode Gold (14/1) and Need For Gold (6/1) came through for minor honours behind the eight and a half length winner.
7lb claiming amateur Shane Fenelon was on board the winner as he has been for all three of the Nazar gelding’s victories.
Winning trainer Eamon ‘Dusty’ Sheehy said: “He's been a right horse this year.
“He got a very bad injury last year, a bad fracture at the back of his knee, and we thought he'd never race again.
“Then he had two bad colics in the middle of the winter and we thought we were going to lose him. He's come back from all those ailments.
“I don't really know what's next, I suppose he'll have to go handicap chasing. I'd say the handicapper is getting close to him.
“He goes on soft ground and maybe the real winter horses haven't been out yet. He's just taking on the tail end of the summer ones that won't go on that ground.
“Hopefully he might get another one and sure if he doesn't we've had a great year.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
