Meade hails 'something different' about winning 5lb claimer

Hasten Slowly (12/1) made slow-and-steady late gains to deny eager Hastily (28/1) and win Naas' Lucan Bloodstock Apprentice Handicap today, scoring under a well-timed Jamie Powell ride.

The winning Kessaar-filly (12/1) had to be switched to the outer early in the home straight and while keen-going Hastily (28/1) stole a late lead, Hasten Slowly flew home to score by a half-length.

Winning trainer Noel Meade heaped praise on Powell post-race and regarding the 5lb claimer, whose father and great-grandfather won Irish Grand Nationals, said “he's a very good rider, I think he has a little bit of something different about him.

“He's been lucky for me as well, which always makes you feel a bit different about them!”

Regarding Hasten Slowly he added “when she won in Leopardstown last year we were getting a few quid for her but I wouldn't let them sell her as I thought she was going to climb (the ratings), but went backwards.

“I didn't know whether she had trained off as a two-year-old or what happened. We tried blinkers and there was one day I thought she'd win and ran terribly.

“Even though she is by Kessaar, I think she'll be better going out in trip. She loves fast ground and anything up to a 1m2f would be alright- hopefully she'll go on from there.

“She has a funny way to carrying her head but she was always like that. She's probably genuine enough, he (Powell) seemed to think she was although at the end of last year I was thinking she wasn't.”

Quotes from Gary Carson