Brown bags first 'track' win

Fiery Brown opened her 'track' account in style with a wide-margin success in the first division of the Minorstown Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel.

The Sean O'Brien-trained mare had been runner-up on her previous couple of runs but was easy to back and went to post a 6/1 shot, from as short as 7/4 in the morning.

Michael O'Sullivan gave his mount a confident ride, producing her to lead two from home in the two-miler. The pair kicked clear before the last to post a 10-length success over Anstand

Fiery Brown had won a point-to-point on her debut back in October 2021 and had also been placed in five winners' contests subsequently between the flags.

"She was entitled to do it on her run the last day but I was afraid when I saw money coming for Paul Nolan's horse (runner-up Anstand),” said O'Brien.

"The plan is to go to Thurles in two weeks for another handicap hurdle. I don't think the handicapper will be too hard on her as she has ran to her mark every day and today's race fell apart.

"She had finished second in four winners' point to points where she had lovely form and wasn't beaten a total of two or three lengths.

“Ciaran Fennessy had her in her point to points and sent her on to me and it's my first winner for the lads (Christy O'Connell and William Tanner) who are Corkmen."

(Quotes by Tom Weekes)