Operating makes it third time lucky

The Jessica Harrington trained Operating made it third time lucky in the May Evening Meetings Bumper at Punchestown today but things didn't exactly go according to plan for the 4/7 favourite, under Mark Fahey.

Operating didn't get the clearest of passages into the straight and once produced with his challenge along the running rail, drifted left inside the final furlong. At the line Operating was kept up to his work to record a length win over Jennies Jewel (trained by Mark Fahey's brother Jarlath).

The stewards subsequently held an enquiry into the interference but left the result unchanged.

Following the win, Harrington said “Mark (Fahey) reported to me that he was hanging out a bit in the straight.

“He is a big three mile chaser and we'll put him away now and he'll come back over hurdles as his is still only a five year old.”