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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Early birds snap up De Benno

Mon 1st Apr 2013, 15:28

De Benno soars over the last at CorkDe Benno soars over the last at Cork
© Photo Healy Racing

De Benno (8/1), who halved in price this morning from 20/1 to 10/1, brought home the bacon for his backers in the two mile three handicap hurdle at Cork.

Mikey Fogarty kept the eight-year-old grey gelding just off the pace and allowed him to creep into the race with four hurdles to jump.

The pair picked off 11/4 favourite Coolnagorna Giggs two out and had enough in the tank to see the job out from the former named by a length and a quarter.

Trainer James Grace said: “I renewed my licence a year ago and this is my second winner since renewing it. I used to train years ago.

“I’ve four horses in Toomevara, Co Tipperary. There’s an awful lot more pressure training than owning.

“De Benno is a problem horse, but he was right today and we fancied him. He’s in at Navan on Saturday and hopefully he’ll run there.”

From his three outings in maiden hurdles, De Benno’s best finishes were two seventh places.

Grace owned Mick The Man who was trained by Noel Meade to win the Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race at the Punchestown Festival in April 2007.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

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.