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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Double carpet Alvaro sweeps past the favourite

Mon 11th Apr 2022, 17:32

Alvaro (left) beats Taxi Rank (hood) Alvaro (left) beats Taxi Rank (hood)
© Photo Healy Racing

Favourite backers would have been happy when 11/8 market leader Freddie Robdal went clear on the run to two out in the five-year-olds and older maiden hurdle but the picture was soon to change.

The favourite started to empty between the final two flights and 66/1 chance Alvaro headed him early on the run-in. The latter only had to be nudged along by Conor McNamara to beat the staying-on Taxi Rank by three quarters of a length with Freddie Robdal finishing a further four and a half lengths back in third.

Trained by McNamara's father Eric, the Archipenko gelding was a winner on the all-weather in Britain a couple of years ago.

The winning rider said: "His work had been good the last few weeks at home. It didn’t ride like a good race as we hacked and we didn’t even quicken.

“I thought he’d be a lowly rated handicapper and maybe he is. He was as fit as a flea and I can’t see him improving much.”

Quotes from Alan Magee

1st
66/1
Tote €73.50 €12.20
2nd
0.75L
10/1
€2.50
3rd
4.5L
11/8Fav
€1.20
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.