Search
Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
- Home
- News
Donal Murphy
Another for Keane as Flier prevails
Local Flier and Colin Keane (inside) just get the better of Snap Click and Wayne Lordan
© Photo Healy Racing
Local Flier (7/2), who was just denied at Fairyhouse on Thursday, recorded her second success of the season as she took the Navan Members Handicap for Tom McCourt with Colin Keane (fifth winner since last Sunday) in the saddle.
The daughter of Byron, who was formerly trained in the UK by Brian Ellison, won at Fairyhouse late last month on her fourth start for her new connections and she was beaten just a neck there on Thursday.
Turned out again quickly the Sarah and Sean Foran owned bay broke smartly and raced mainly in third.
She came under pressure over two furlongs out and only got going at the furlong pole when given a few cracks of the whip.
She had a ding-dong duel with Snap Click in the closing stages and she just got her head in front at the right time, getting the verdict by a short-head.
Snap Click was returned at 25/1 under Wayne Lordan for Jim Gorman while Eloge (13/2) ran a fine race to finish third, a further length and a quarter back under Chris Hayes for Andy Oliver. Wildcat Kitten who was 7/1 in a place this morning, opened on-course at 11/4 before going off the 5/2 favourite.
The Dermot Weld trained gelding had no luck in running and he finished a never nearer fifth under Pat Smullen.
Tom McCourt said afterwards: "Colin gave her a peach of a ride. I was a bit afraid the mile my stretch her but he rode her well. He is a very level headed chap.
"She has had three quick runs so we will give her a break now of three weeks and we will probably go to Galway with her.
"She is a very tough filly and she is ground versatile with her win at Fairyhouse coming on yielding to soft."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham