We Got This (2nd right) and Paddy O'Brien© Photo Healy Racing
We Got This recorded a shock 100/1 win when making a successful debut in the Wesco Electrical Mares Maiden Hurdle at Navan. Cash The Cheque (15/8 fav) set the pace in this 14-runner two-mile event and the third last hurdle proved significant as the prominent Charity Barnum fell hampering a number of horses notably Broomfield Bijou Skipinyourstep fell independently at the same flight.
The favourite was still in front over the last but was headed by We Got This about 100 yards out to provide Paddy O’Brien with his fourth winner.
Broomfield Bijou, 15/2 overnight and backed into 3/1 at the off, made relentless headway on the run-in but just came up half-a-length short with Cash The Cheque finding no extra in the closing stages a further two lengths back in third.
Local trainer Finbar Hand, who was bridging a gap of nearly two years without a winner from a small number of runners, said: "I really fancied her, all her work has been really good. I'm absolutely delighted for the owner/breeder Maura (McGuinness), who is a long-time friend of mine.
“She's a lovely mare, every piece of work she's done she's finished it off well. I've a nice grey horse (Walter Grey) who finished fourth last week at Fairyhouse and she finished upside him in a piece of work just before that.
“Paddy was saying she'd even be better again over further. She met a lot of traffic there.
“We might look at something at Fairyhouse over Easter for her, over maybe two-and-a-half. Paddy said not to go two again, they went plenty fast enough early there.
“We might go the novice route, there is a lot of improvement in this mare. I wouldn't be happy with her coat today, with a bit of heat coming she'll turn inside out.
“I've just four in training but they are four nice horses.”
Quotes by Gary Carson
