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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Everything goes smoothly for Plan

Thu 15th Jan 2015, 14:38

Golden Plan (nearest) disputing the leadGolden Plan (nearest) disputing the lead
© Photo Healy Racing

Golden Plan ran out a cheeky winner of the Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Thurles under a confident ride from Shane Butler.

The Mark Fahey-trained gelding was to the fore throughout in the two-and-a-half mile contest and eased on from Seamus Mor going to the final flight.

The Goldmark gelding produced a fine leap at the last and Butler could afford to look around on the run-in as the 4/1 shot needed minimal assistance to hold the late charge of 15/8 favourite Horendus Hulabaloo by three-parts-of-a-length.

The winner had been well beaten on his last outing at Navan after a decent comeback effort at Cork in November.

"He won his point-to-point, bumper and maiden hurdle all in that heavy ground and is a very genuine horse," said Fahey.

"I've nothing in mind for him next but he would see a fence fairly quick."

Butler told Attheraces: "I wasn't really meant to be that handy but there was no pace on. I jumped out, he travelled and jumped with me so I had no choice but to stay where I was.

"I always knew there was plenty of horse underneath me and it was just a matter of not panicking with him.

"It's very testing and it's getting gluey as it's after opening up a bit. It takes a lot of getting but thankfully this fella loves it."

(Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes)

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.