Nina Carberry© Photo Healy Racing
The victory of The Game Changer in the concluding UCC R&G National Flat Race at Cork was notable on a number of fronts. Firstly Nina Carberry pressed the button at precisely the right time on the sweet-travelling newcomer who held off fellow first-timer, Flags Pass by a length and a half.
The Game Changer is a first-winner for the German-bred Monsun stallion, Arcadio and that fellow is based at Arctic Tack Stud in County Wexford. He was retired to stud in 2008.
Charlie Swan trains The Game Changer and he is from a good family. His half-brother by Gold Well, Johns Spirit has won four races to date.
Still only a four-year-old, The Game Changer should have a good future ahead of him and he is owned by the Hyde family (of course introduced subsequent Albert Bartlett hero, At Fishers Cross here in a bumper in November 2011).
John Roche is also a part owner and of course that Wexford man is a familiar face at the upper echelons of the greyhound coursing world.
Swan said: "I was very worried about the ground. I told Nina that he had loads of pace and when he got to the front he idled a bit but he's a nice horse." (TW & EM)
