Hobbs based amateur rides first Irish winner

Twenty year old Sean Houlihan registered his first Irish winner at Punchestown today when steering the Maurice Phelan trained Petuna to win the concluding Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Mares Bumper.

Houlihan, based in England with Philip Hobbs, had previously recorded a hunter chase winner and four point-to-point wins and put that experience to good use today when keeping Petuna going in the closing stages to hold off the challenge of 13/8 favourite Earth Sister under Champion Amateur Jockey Patrick Mullins.

Following the win, Phelan stated "she's a nice filly for next year, and jumps hurdles well but may go for a flat race in Dundalk next. She can only improve."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee