Search
Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
- irishracing.com
- Punchestown
- News
- Reidh a second British trained Galway winner under Orr
John O'Riordan
Reidh a second British trained Galway winner under Orr
Reidh and Oisin Orr
© Photo Healy Racing
The Richard Fahey trained Reidh gave the British raiding party a second winner on the evening when justifying strong market support under Oisin Orr to land the caulfieldindustrial.com Handicap at Galway.
As big as 5/1 in places during the day, the four-year-old Kodiac gelding was sent off 10/3f. Prominent in second from stalls, Orr elected to take a pull and drop back to third, perhaps mindful of the strong early pace. Spanish Tenor and Brains two confirmed front runners went head to head in front but both came under pressure entering the straight. Excuzio Joe led over a furlong out, with Imposing Supreme coming through into second to throw down a big challenge.
Orr had to wait for the gap to appear to make his move on the eventual winner but once in the clear, he quickened up stylishly on Reidh to get to the front inside the final 50 yards for what proved a well received success.
Richard Fahey said: "I had no runners in Goodwood today but felt nervous and my heart was thumping out of my chest. To have a winner here with the lads is great as I started off training for the late Tommy Staunton 28 years ago and he was a brother of (owner) John.
"John and Jimmy (Stauntons) are from Mayo so for them and me to have a winner here is fantastic and I've loved it. This means an awful lot and I think Tommy found the gap (in the race) and opened it up for us!"
He added "The handicapper put him up 10lb for winning a bad race so I thought that scuppered our chances but getting into (in-running) trouble might have won him the race as he got a chance to fill up and finish off.
"I'm flying back in the morning and it is actually easier to fly from Gatwick to Galway and come here, than it is to drive to Goodwood. We'll keep the horse here in Galway as he is in on Sunday, but I don't think he will get in."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.