Well-bred Deadheat comes good for McParlan father and son team Deadheat (9/1 — 10/1 — 7/1) defied top-weight in the BoyleSports This Is Betting Handicap Chase at Wexford for the County Down father and son team of Sean and Noel McParlan. Coming on nicely from a Killarney third placing nine days ago, Deadheat here beat the staying on Top Question by a length. It was the same distance then to Cushinstown Finest in third. There was plenty of pace here in this stamina test with the likes of Rudy Catrail (2/1 favourite, eventually finished 5th) in the field, and Deadheat benefitted from the waiting approach of McParlan junior on his back. Deadheat is a half-brother to Grade One winning novice chaser Great Field and McParlan senior explained: “We have him around six months. He came on a lorry from France to Karl Thornton's. “The vet scanned his leg and he had struck into himself. The vet said he'd be a year and a half in the field. “Karl then gave him to Noel for nothing. Karl said what are you going to do with him and Noel said he is sound, I'll ride him every day until he goes lame. "We ran him in a point-to-point and he was second. “He ran in Killarney then and ran well there too. I thought he had a chance today. If he hadn't won today he was going to point-to-pointing. He done it well." The Stewards fined Paul Stafford, trainer, €65 for failing to fit the declared headgear to Dubai Devils, prior to entering the parade ring. A.W. Short, rider of Dubai Devils trained by Paul Stafford, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount never travelled. Rachael Blackmore, rider of Minella United (GB) trained by Henry de Bromhead, reported to the Clerk of Scales that her mount never travelled after going a circuit. (DM & EM)
