Donal Murphy
Meade & O'Hare strike again with Jerandme
Jerandme leads home his rivals under Mark O'Hare
© Photo Healy Racing
Jerandme provided Noel Meade and Mark O'Hare with their second bumper success in as many days, as he took the last at Down Royal this afternoon, the Bet With The Tote Flat Race.
This son of Azamour is a half-brother to dual winner Is She Diesel, and he was sent off at 9/2 in the colours of the Harbrio Syndicate.
Settled in second, the bay victor improved to dispute the lead from three furlongs out. He was one of three vying for the lead over a furlong out, but he kept on best for pressure to edge ahead inside the final furlong, going on to score by three parts of a length.
Fellow newcomers Khanisari (11/2 to 9/2) and Exit Poll (7/2fav) were second and third, with just a neck separating them.
Meade, who was on the mark yesterday with The Red Menace, said: "He was very green. He stays really well and I thought this better ground would suit him.
"He gallops well. He was very keen early too. I'd say when he learns how race a little bit better he's useful. He likes good ground.
"He's done most of his work on soft ground but I thought he might be a little bit better on good ground and I'd say he probably is.
"I'd imagine we might try a winners' bumper with him."
On Mark O'Hare Meade added: "He has struck very lucky with us. That's his fourth or fifth bumper winner for us since he started riding. He's been doing nothing wrong.
"He has sat in very well, he was lucky that Nina (Carberry) retired! It's the right place at the right time. He started to ride out with us two or three months ago and he was only coming down just to keep himself fit.
"It has worked out well and he's a lovely lad. He has so much experience, he's been riding for years. He's claiming 5lbs and he's a given at 5lbs."
STEWARDS REPORTS
The Stewards fined M.F.Morris, trainer, E350 for lodging a passport in respect of Baily Thunder (GB), in which the vaccinations did not conform with the provisions of Rule 91. The Stewards allowed the horse to run on receipt of the trainer's written assurance that the vaccinations were in order.
D.J. Bunyan, trainer of Gone Dancin reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his charge was found to have lost a hind shoe post race
Additional reporting by Michael Graham