Gers Gigi awarded mares maiden hurdle after enquiry

The Gordon Elliott trained Gers Gigi opened her account over flights when awarded the race in the stewards room after going down by the narrowest of margins in the visitwexford.ie Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Sent off 11/4f, the five-year-old was prominent throughout under Jack Kennedy, before getting to the front early in the straight.

Going a couple of lengths clear after two out, the mare was strongly challenged by Birmingham Alabama after the last.

The pair settled down to battle it out on the run-in but the latter bumped her rival on a couple of occasions as they fought neck and neck to the line.

At the finish, Birmingham Alabama had just a nose to spare but the subsequent stewards enquiry found that the interference had cost her rival the race.

Winning rider Jack Kennedy said: "She was slow over the last two and she got a couple of bumps after the last then. The winning margin was only a nose and she lost plenty of momentum.

"That was her first run over hurdles and she'll learn plenty from today. It was nice for her to get it."

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy