Bellini toasts another win in the mud

Bubbly Bellini has proved a tremendous servant to connections and recorded his 13th career victory when taking the Joanna Morgan Lifetime Achievement Handicap at the Curragh.

The eight-year-old gelding relishes cut in the ground and, with the ground officially heavy following plenty of rain over the weekend, he scored in impressive fashion.

Declan McDonogh sent him to the front two furlongs out, and the 6/1 chance stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to beat Master Speaker by two and a quarter lengths. Dashwood was a further three quarters of a length away in third.

Winning trainer Ado McGuinness said, "He's been a great servant and I'm glad to have him.

"I gave him a couple of runs in Dundalk to get him right with soft ground early in the season in mind. That's his ground.

"Declan rode him work a few times recently and was mad keen to ride him."

The Curragh Racecourse Manager Paul Hensey made a presentation afterwards to Joanna Morgan in recognition of her many achievements both as a jockey and trainer.