Top chaser and 2008 Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Captain Cee Bee warmed up for the Galway Festival with a tenth career win in the featured Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary this afternoon, winning for the sponsor’s brother, owner J.P. McManus.

Ridden by McManus’ retrained rider Tony McCoy, the ten year old travelled well for much of the contest but needed to work hard on the run-in to get the better of The Real Article who shaped with promise under a hands and heels ride, by a short head. After ards delighted winning trainer Eddie Harty said “Captain Cee Bee as he is a very very good horse and this will leave him spot on for Galway.”

“He is top weight in the Plate and while that has always been his objective, we’ll sit down now and finalise plans. He has 10st11lbs in the Galway Hurdle and plans could change between now and then – it’s a quandary which race to go for but it’s a nice quandary to have. It’s a better than worrying about one getting into a 47-60 flat handicap at Ballinrobe or dropping out of the system altogether!”

The Stewards subsequently enquired into the riding of runner-up The Real Article before accepting the explanations offered by his trainer and rider.

Thomas Weekes