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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

A penalty kick for Zola in the bumper

Thu 8th Aug 2019, 22:10

ZOLA and Patrick Mullins win the bumper at Sligo.ZOLA and Patrick Mullins win the bumper at Sligo.
© Photo Healy Racing

After being runner-up on her stable debut at Wexford last month, the Court Cave mare Zola (8/11 fav) made no mistake when winning the mares’ bumper at Sligo by eight lengths in the hands of Patrick Mullins.

She made all the running, and went clear in the straight to beat the staying-on Conquering Tara (9/2), with Bonarc (5/2) another four and a quarter lengths back in third.

After partnering the winner for his father Willie, the successful jockey Patrick Mullins commented:

“James Fenton does a great job sourcing all these mares (for the Blue Blood Racing Club). They are all leased.

“She’s a nice mare but is very small. She has a fantastic pedigree, it’s all stamina, and that’s why I wanted to ride her like that.

“I think she’s improved, and when she goes two and a half or three miles we will see her at her best.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.