Crackerdancer further enhanced a growing reputation with a second bumper success, at Navan today, as the Ray Hackett trained mare ran out an impressive 20 lengths winner of the concluding I. S. F. EBF (M) (Pro/Am) Bumper.

The daughter of Robin Des Champs was a well backed winner at Limerick last month and again attracted plenty support today (11/2 this morning in to 11/4 at the off). Jockey Tommy Brett sent the mare clear with a furlong to race and the pair eventually scored impressively from her February ‘head’ conqueror Shimmer Rock.

Afterwards Hackett stated “she's good and is just relentless and gallops and gallops. The more people were giving out about the ground today the happier we were - they were finishing drunk all day and we were thrilled watching it as it suited her down to the ground.

“That's her second bumper now and Patsy (O’Brien, owner) wants her as a broodmare. I'll chat to him now but I'd say if it came up soft we might go to Punchestown. It'll have to be soft as she fractured a knee when she was younger and she gives the ground a good thump, so with her knee you need it forgiving underfoot.

“We'll see and if that's it for the year, that's it, she has her job done. Whether Patsy will breed or come back for hurdling I don't know. You'd love to have a winter with her as she'd be an exciting one to go hurdling with.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson