Jan Van Eyck heads for success under Danny Sheehy© Photo Healy Racing
"It was my first time up on him and I had a chat with Niall McCullagh before the race as he knows him well," revealed Danny Sheehy after he'd landed the Cross' Supervalu Supporting Newbridge Parish Handicap at the Curragh on Jan Van Eyck
Unable to claim his full 7Ib allowance off the lightly-weighted victor, Sheehy moved Ger O'Leary's Raven's Pass gelding up travelling smoothly on the outer in the straight.
Jan Van Eyck stayed on well inside the final furlong to put the issue to bed by two and a quarter lengths from The Graduate
"He (Niall McCullagh) just said that he likes to be ridden quietly and that's what I did. They went a nice gallop the whole way and I just sat in his comfort zone the whole way around," elaborated Hayes.
"He took me through the race very easily and was still going very well at the two. I kicked at the two, and I was thinking maybe I would have liked to have held on to him a bit more, but he found and found. He kept on going very well.
"He was out of the handicap and the claim helped as well and thanks a million to Ger O'Leary for giving me the spin."
K.J. Leonard, rider of Nelson Road trained by John Joseph Murphy, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount got no run.
(GC & EM)
