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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Journey back on track at Fairyhouse

Mon 1st Apr 2024, 16:46

Journey With Me and Darragh O'Keeffe Journey With Me and Darragh O'Keeffe
© Photo Healy Racing

Journey With Me got 'back on track' with a convincing success in the McInerney Properties Chase at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding had been third on his return to action at Navan early last month and stepped forward to land today's Grade 2 prize.

Darragh O'Keeffe produced the Mahler gelding to challenge three from home in the two-mile-three contest and he edged ahead from Appreciate It after the penultimate fence.

The 4/1 shot kept on strongly from the last to record a nine-length win.

6/5 favourite Saint Sam pulled up going to the last after setting a strong pace.

“He jumped well, did everything right and Darragh was great on him. It's brilliant for Robcour,” said de Bromhead.

“They went a fair lick the whole way, Saint Sam went a real good gallop. It probably helped us in a sense, helped to settle our lad and he stayed at it really well.

“We would have always hoped he was (a Grade 1 horse). It's nice to be back on track anyway, this is a great race to win on a brilliant day.

“There are a couple of options at Punchestown but I haven't really firmed up on anything. Today was the plan, see how we got on and move on from there.

“He can be a bit silly jumping but he's getting there, that's two good rounds of jumping now.

“Navan was his first run for a long time, he had a bit of a setback, and he needed it. He got a bit tired there but ran really well.”

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.