Brouder back amongst the winners

Kevin Brouder ended a long spell without a winner at Sligo today as the jockey landed the Madden's Bar & Restaurant Handicap Hurdle on all-the-way winner Mr Moondance on his first ride for contrastingly in-form trainer Mark McNiff.

Brouder's previous winner was at Leopardstown on February 2, which was his 40th and final of the 2019/20 season and which saw him conclude the season in second place in the Conditional Jockeys' Championship, with a tally which would normally suffice to win that title.

However the rider has recently suffered collarbone trouble and today returned to the winners' enclosure on Mr Moondance, which was his first ride for McNiff.

McNiff was at Wexford, where his Arthur's Baby was an unlucky second, and following the race Brouder stated "I got a grand freebie, I got to fill him all the way. He's a very free-going horse.

"I kind of figured him out straightaway going down to the start.

"He's one of those free old types. You're probably better off ignoring them, let them run for a hundred yards and they'll come back to you.

"That's what I found out going down to the start, and that's what I done. It was pretty simple after that."

Quotes from Mark Nunan