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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Collins & Gilligan double up at Sligo

Wed 2nd Oct 2024, 17:20

Cian Collins and jockey Danny Gilligan with Jazzy Matty Cian Collins and jockey Danny Gilligan with Jazzy Matty
© Photo Healy Racing

Cian Collins and Danny Gilligan, successful earlier with Great Ocean  doubled up when Jazzy Matty (15/2) upset 4/9 favourite Space Tourist in the Christy 'Frosty' Callaghan Memorial Chase. 

A second Fred Winter winner, after Brazil in action on Sligo's all-chase card, the Doctor Dino gelding tracked the leaders and led away from two out to beat the less than fluent market leader, who also forfeited plenty of ground by jumping left, by a length-and-a-half.

It could, of course, have been a treble for trainer and jockey who were still rueing the final fence exit, with the race at his mercy, of Brandt in the previous contest. 

Gilligan said: "He jumped very well and I was able to take him back and keep filling him up everywhere. I could see Paul's one (Townend, on Space Tourist) was going left and I wanted to help him as little as possible! My lad wasn't doing a whole pile in front."  

Collins said: "Me and Danny were over in Sedgefield yesterday and I said to him on the way back that we might have a treble tomorrow. We were laughing about it! It could have come off but Brandt and Danny were okay and that's the main thing.

"This is a very good horse. We got him through a sale and thought we'd have to pay more for him than we did (50,000euro). It's good to have him back winning again and he could turn out to be a very good staying chaser. 

"Jordan Gainford would've been riding him but had to ride for Gordon (Elliott, on The Friday Man . He pulled him up in Listowel last week when he felt he'd gone wrong. He did the right thing by him there and it's paid off today.

"I think we'll go to Cheltenham later this month. He seems to like the track there, so we'll have a go at it."

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.