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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Wate And Sea another for favourite backers

Sat 9th Aug 2014, 18:59

Wate And Sea and Adrian Heskin come home clear winners in the rain at KilbegganWate And Sea and Adrian Heskin come home clear winners in the rain at Kilbeggan
© Photo Healy Racing

Wate And Sea made it three from three for favourite backers at Kilbeggan as she took the Joe Cooney Memorial Handicap Hurdle under Adrian Heskin for John Joe Walsh.

The six-year-old daughter of Definite Article sprang a 20/1 surprise in first time cheekpieces on her handicap debut at Ballinrobe last month and she was sent off the 3/1 favourite to follow up this evening.

Having raced mainly in fourth she was left in a close-up second after the third last (Salacious Sally unseated) and she eased into the lead before the next flight.

She soon stretched clear and came home eleven lengths to the good with the well-backed Snapchat finishing second under Katie O’Farrell for her father Seamus at 9/1 (16’s in the morning and from 10’s on-course). Drive The Bus completed the placings a further length and three parts back in third under trainer his Denis Hogan while the gambled on Chief Of Pamana (7’s this morning and from 5’s to 7/2 on-course) was fourth under Shane Shortall for Liam Cusack.

John Joe Walsh said afterwards: "It took a while for her to find form. It was a poor race and we'll try and get another one somewhere along the line.

"She's confined to jumping the easy-fix hurdles but we might try her over the other hurdles later on.

"The ground was lovely and it suited her."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.