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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Big Dispute makes a winning start in Killarney

Sun 14th May 2023, 18:39

Finny Maguire keeps Big Dispute up to his workFinny Maguire keeps Big Dispute up to his work
© Photo Healy Racing

Big Dispute made the best way home from halfway to land the bumper on debut in Killarney.

He was keen off a sedate pace and Finny Maguire let him stride on.

Maguire got his fractions spot on as the pair kept on well in the final furlong to win by a length and three quarters at 14/1. Wrecking Ballbilly stayed on for second at 28/1 with 6/5 favourite My Great Mate back in third.

Trainer Paul O’Flynn said: “Con (McSweeney, owner) bought him at the sales and did all the work with him. He’s for sale so we’ll see what happens.

“Obviously it didn’t go to plan but when you have a good jockey like Finny he knows to go to plan B. We knew he would stay galloping and is a proper horse.

“Con has a point-to-point licence. We have been friends for years and I’m delighted for him.

“He’d the winner of the four-year-old maiden in Tallow this year, Butcher Hollow, that he sold for £200,000 at the Cheltenham sale.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.