Slew springs surprise as Cowboy crashes out Slew Charm recorded just his second career win on his fiftieth start, as he took the Downpatrick Handicap Chase under Noel McParlan for Banbridge trainer Sarah Dawson. The eleven-year-old gelding, who was sent off at 18/1, was held up towards the rear for much of the contest, before he made progress into fifth at the fourth last. He hit the front three fences from home, but was joined by the 4/7 favourite Hold Em Cowboy at the second last. That fellow crashed out there under Ruby Walsh for Gordon Elliott, leaving Slew Charm well in front, and despite finding little on the run-in, he did enough to hold off Tipped Up Harry (11/2) by five and a half lengths, with Refused A Name a further ten lengths back in third at 25/1. Sarah Dawson said afterwards: "That was a long time coming. It is my first national hunt winner, I’ve had point-to-point and flat winners before. "I'm so pleased for the owners, John and Joanne McCoubrey who have been so patient. "His form has been rock solid, he has been so unlucky in running the last few times. He ran at Fairyhouse and got bumped. He likes to creep into his races. "He deserved that and Noel knows him as well as anybody. "I didn’t know if he would like Downpatrick, horses either love it or hate it here, or if the ground would be too firm for him. He likes a wee bit of cut. "I’ve got half a dozen national hunt horses and half a dozen for the flat." Additional reporting by Michael Graham
