Buckley secures second success with Seddon

Cheltenham festival winner Seddon (7/2jf) registered an 11th career success at Listowel today, as the John McConnell-trained veteran landed the Listowel Failte Abhaile Q.R. Race, under jockey Finn Buckley.

The eleven-year-old's biggest day came in winning Cheltenham's 2023 Magners Plate and having previously won on the Flat at Killarney in August, followed up in facile fashion, making all to easily beat runner-up Ascending

Buckley reported “I was delighted to get the leg up so thanks to John and the owners for letting me ride him and I was a complete passenger the whole way as he knows the job. He is 11 but once you get rocking and rolling, he feels like he is new to it and is some spin.

“He won the last day over a furlong further in Killarney so I wanted to make plenty use of him and over a tight track today, I thought he'd nip around the bends. I tried to keep it as simple as I could as I thought I was on the best horse in the race.”

He added “I'm from Devon and about 18 months ago - when I was at nothing really, my brother Kieren (jockey) suggested that I come to Ireland as there are very good opportunities for amateur riders. Dad is originally from Wexford and was mad to come home so we said 'why not'.

“We train 10 or 12 horses near Fairyhouse and have have already had our first winner.”