Feeney secures first racecourse winner on 'gorgeous horse'

Black Bamboo got the verdict in Limerick's bumper after a terrific tussle with 150/1 outsider Alpesh Amin

Alpesh Amin led at the three pole but Black Bamboo made sustained progress under Adam Feeney to tank into contention on the outer.

The pair settled down for a battle inside the final quarter of a mile and they were locked together until Black Bamboo was headed, and came under the whip, in the final furlong.

To his credit, he fought back in the closing stages and won it by a head at 9/4. The runner-up emerged with plenty of credit at huge odds. Memories Never Die (25/1) was a whopping 18 lengths back in a remote third. Saylavee the 11/8 favourite, was in trouble entering the straight and came in a well-beaten fourth.

Feeney, son of amateur jockey Tom Feeney, said: "I'm 22, live outside Fermoy and have three point-to-point winners ridden and that's my first on the racecourse.

"I'm with John (Murphy) six morning a week and love it - there are a lot of nice young horses there and this is a gorgeous horse.

"He ran a cracker the first day at Punchestown and was tough today. He'll be a very nice horse."

Assistant trainer George Murphy said: "He had a very good first run in a race where the form worked out very well - there are a few very nice horses after coming out of it.

"He was tough there as the ground was a bit sticky for what he'd like, and he had to come wide and make up plenty ground. His class got him through in the end.

"He'll come forward from that run and we wouldn't be afraid to go for a bigger race with him - we'll definitely think about an entry in the Cheltenham bumper but will make a plan closer.

"He could be sold but we think he is a very good horse."

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes