Lady's strike-rate 'better than Willie Mullins'

Michelle Gannon can be described as one of racing's characters and the trainer of Missyspet winner of the Thistle Cheltenham Hotel Novice Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse today, was quick to compare her own handling of the mare with Champion Trainer Willie Mullins' own more celebrated achievements.

Missyspet, a bumper winning daughter of Westerner, was produced by jockey Brian O'Connell to lead at the last and eventually beat Mine Now by three parts of a length, for a third win in her last four starts.

That fact wasn't lost on Gannon who later quipped "that's my eighth winner since I've started training and in the past three years I've trained six winners from only two or three horses. I think that's better than Willie Mullins' achievements strike-wise!

"I won on this mare's mother here eight years ago and she also loved that heavy ground- the heavier the better and touch wood this mare does too."

Gannon, who runs a public gallop at her base in Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, added "when she (Missyspet) won her bumper, my baby James was only 12 days old and she has now won three from four since he was born - I think he's a lucky baby!

"I was at Pierce Molony's (Thurles racecourse's owner) removal last night and would have been at the funeral today only for this mare running. He gave me my first horse to pre-train and was a great man and a gentleman."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson