Cawley surprised by Western success

Eddie Cawley trained winners have been known to hurt the bookies in the past but Western Island s success in the jogforjockeys.ie Handicap Chase was welcomed by the layers as the 20/1 shot scored under Philip Enright at Clonmel.

Always on the pace, one might have thought that the successful nine-year-old maiden, coming here off a 226 day break, would prove vulnerable at the business end to more patiently ridden rivals. Not a bit of it though as he stayed on well to comfortably account for the nicely-supported John Carr-trained favourite Dunroe Boy by four and a half lengths.

Cawley joked afterwards: "John Carr brought him down for us and he probably won't bring him home now.

The County Sligo native, now of course-based in County Meath, continued: "That's a surprise. Many is the day that we fancied him and he went and let us down.

"We actually went hunting with him during the winter and it must have freshened him up.

"He should win another on that showing." (DM & EM)