Joseph O’Brien got Snap Alam up in the last few strides to land the extended mile handicap at Wexford for trainer Joanna Morgan.
The blinkered four-year-old filly was drawn well in gate one and hugged the rail throughout. However, she looked boxed in at the business end of the race, but O’Brien extricated her and conjured up a finish to beat 20/1 outsider Smoky Cloud by half a length.
The winner was returned at 13/2 having been 12/1 in the morning. Joseph O’Brien was confident of victory. He said: “I was always going to get out and I had plenty of horse under me.”
Hadrian’s Waltz, the 5/1 joint favourite, was a head further back in third. The next three horses home all beat each other by neck’s in a bunch finish for the places. Jouster the other 5/1 joint favourite, finished last.
After the race the Stewards handed down a one day ban to winning rider Joseph O'Brien for failing to give the winner Snap Alam sufficient time to respond to the whip.
Michael Graham
