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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Mate runs out facile winner

Wed 21st Aug 2024, 18:31

My Great Mate and Paul Townend My Great Mate and Paul Townend
© Photo Healy Racing

My Great Mate won as you'd expect a 1/11 shot to do, when scoring in facile fashion in the Hankook Pearse Rd Tyres Maiden Hurdle at Sligo.

Paul Townend tracked Marlpark on the hotpot in the early stages before sending his mount to the front with a circuit to run in the two-and-a-half mile contest.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding went clear running down to the fourth last flight and the race was soon over as he cantered to a 31-length success.

My Great Mate had been placed on his first two outings over timber, most recently when third at Galway late last month.

Townend said: "He was entitled to do that. I was happy to take a lead when Sean (O'Keeffe, on Marlpark) was keen early and we took it off him with a lap to go.

"It was straightforward, he backed up his run at Galway and jumped brilliant.

"He'd won on similar ground and we thought he'd handle these conditions."

(Quotes by Mark Nunan)

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.