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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Curtis at the double with Hartside

Mon 20th Aug 2012, 16:23

Hartside impresses when winning by 11 lengths at TramoreHartside impresses when winning by 11 lengths at Tramore
© Photo Healy Racing

Hartside formerly trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute, came good on his fourth outing in Ireland when coming home well clear in the mile and a half August Festival Centenary Handicap at Tramore.

The 4/1 shot gave jockey Ben Curtis a double at the track after he won the previous race on Quench The Flame

3/1 favourite Porterman and Wayne Lordan set out to make all and with half a mile to race had burned off all his rivals except for Hartside.

The German-bred, trained by Tommy Carmody, tracked Porterman to the furlong pole before powering up the hill to win by a comfortable 11 lengths.

Porterman in turn was six and a half lengths clear of 25/1 outsider Quantum Reach in third.

Tommy Carmody said: “He deserved to win a race like that. I’m surprised the way he handled the ground.

“He jumps great and is a horse with a future over jumps.”

On Hartside’s previous three runs in Ireland he had finished seventh, eighth and sixth in handicaps. In three runs in England he finished no better than seventh. Windsor Pride disappointed and he was reported to have changed his legs on several occasions and couldn't handle today's ground.

(on course reporting by Donal Murphy)

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.