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- Keane's journey pays off with second winner on day
Michael Graham
Keane's journey pays off with second winner on day
Wojood, white sleeves and cap, driven home by Colin Keane
© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane hotfooted it from the Curragh to Tramore to bring up an across-the-card double on board Wojood in the Strand Inn Dunmore Handicap.
Wojood has certainly hit form with a vengeance as he was following up on a handicap hurdle success at Ballinrobe on Monday.
Keane asked him for his effort racing into the final quarter of a mile and the six-year-old gelding soon picked up the chase on the outer.
He stayed on into contention straightening for home and delivered his winning challenge to Molly Fantasy in the final 150 yards. He increased the margin to a length and a half at the line.
Denis Hogan 's charge was backed from 15/2 to 9/2. Molly Fantasy went off the even-money favourite (with Danny Mullins putting up 2lb overweight), but had no answers when collared in the closing stages. Rips Dream (25/1) came in third, beaten just over five lengths by the winner.
Keane said: "I hadn't ridden him before but I looked at a few of his videos and he was a good winner for Daniel King over hurdles at Ballinrobe on Monday.
"He won here before too and he obviously likes these kind of tracks, the ups and downs, the turning and that. It keeps him interested.
"We went along at a nice pace early doors and it gave him a chance. He crept into it and got onto the tail of the right one (Molly Fantasy) and she brought him there to the furlong pole. He picked up well and it's nice to get it.
"My agent (Ruaidhri Tierney) said it would be worth coming down here so he was right."
Keane won the Listed Curragh Stakes by a short head on Mauiewowie earlier today.
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy