Ministerforsport returns to winning ways

Ministerforsport maintained his remarkable winning strike-rate when landing the FBD Insurance Handicap Hurdle at Cork today for his trainer Noel O'Neill and jockey Donie McInerney.

The son of Dubai Destination began his winning spree in a Ballindenisk point to point in December 2016 and finished his pointing career with three consecutive wins, before adding a Gowran bumper and Limerick maiden hurdle to complete a five-timer in 2016/17.

The seven year old began this year with a fifth placed effort at Clonmel in January but resumed usual ways today, scoring his sixth win in seven runs in the E50,000 race.

Afterwards Carrigtwohill, Co Cork based O'Neill, a farrier by trade, stated “the form of his maiden hurdle win at Limerick worked out well with the second, third, fourth and fifth placed horses winning since and in hindsight, running at Clonmel afterwards was too soon for him and he ran flat that day.

“We freshened him up and he had been working quite well recently and will be a nice, tough staying chaser in time and that's what we'll keep aiming him for.

“I'll see how he comes out of this before making a decision on Punchestown but we found he does need a break between runs and it is highly unlikely.”