Hayes delight at riding a winner in the Barry silks
Astadash and Chris Hayes
© Photo Healy Racing
It all came together for the 83-rated Astadash on the polytrack this afternoon, as she got off the mark on outing number eight in the Story Of Dundalk Stadium Book Available Online Maiden.
Unfortunate when fourth over this track and trip nineteen days back, on debut at the County Louth venue, nothing was going to stop the successful Zoffany filly on this occasion.
Chris Hayes’ mount convincingly accounted for Zofar Zogood (also by Zoffany) by three and a quarter lengths, having come through from mid-division to take over a furlong out.
“She had a very good first run and for different reasons it just didn't click for her,” said Hayes on the Kevin Prendergast-trained winner.
“She was just not right on one or two of the days. I was very unlucky here from a wide draw the last day. I went for a gap and it shut in my face.
“I thought I would have put it up to the winner that day and gave a good performance. I looked after her and we had this race picked out, thankfully she's gone and done it.
“It means a lot to ride a winner in these colours because as everyone knows Frank Barry was Kevin's right-hand man at the sales and they bought many good horses together.”
Manister House Stud County Limerick based Barry passed away in 2018. His wife Liz and son Luke have this home-bred in training at Friarstown.
C.D. Maxwell, rider of The Bog Bank trained by T.G.McCourt, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount never travelled.
(GC & EM)