What a finish - Waterloo Sunrise (centre) beats Phils Wish (far-side) and Havelock Ellis (nearside)© Photo Healy Racing
In the past Waterloo Sunrise won when wearing eye-shields for the first time and with a hood on for the initial occasion he landed the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Handicap.
The result was only confirmed for the Colm O'Donoghue-ridden winner after he'd gotten home by a short head from Phils Wish Havelock Ellis the market-leader, threatened to turn a certain looking defeat, towards the business end, into a victory, by finishing out his race strongly. However he was still a head off the first pair at the line.
"He tries his hardest but he needs things to fall his way.
"I put eye-shields on him when he won before and we tried the hood today and that worked – we'll have to think of something else to put on him now!
"He'll probably come back here now every second Friday.
"I'd also like to say a special thanks to the owners – Mr and Mrs Zieg from Wicklow. They're very loyal and they're also very good friends," explained winning trainer Shane Duffy.
The Stewards enquired into possible interference in the closing stages involving Waterloo Sunrise, ridden by C. O'Donoghue, winner, Havelock Ellis (GB), ridden by F. Lynch, placed third, Indigo Iris ridden by C.T. Keane, placed fourth and War Room ridden by L.F. Roche, placed fifth, where it appeared Indigo Iris and War Room suffered slight interference.
Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards made no alteration to the judges' placings and took no further action.
C.D. Hayes, rider of Quick Succession (USA), trained by Lee Smyth, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount never travelled.
(AM & EM)
