Favourite Langford overcomes wide draw for maiden win

Sam Langford was the second short-priced winner in as many races at Bellewstown today as the Kevin Prendergast trained gelding landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden under jockey Chris Hayes.

The son of Footstepsinthesand had the second-widest draw in 17 but jockey Hayes quickly maneuvered his way to attain the inside railing from a prominent racing position. Sam Langford did the rest of the heavy lifting and quickened clear of his rivals with a furlong to race as he was merely pushed out by Hayes for a three and a half lengths win from Conamara Handshake

Hayes later said “the boss told me when he was riding around here that paint is the shortest way to go around and remarkably I got down there.

“He’s a lovely straight-forward horse. He was a shade unlucky the last day when he got stopped in his run and that was a far better race. He has improved and it took me a while to pull him up. He is for sale.”

Quotes from Alan Magee