Tom Weekes
Party for the Pot Hunters
Potters Party and Darragh O'Keeffe
© Photo Healy Racing
Potters Party (7/1) landed his first 'pot' today as the Henry De Bromhead-trained gelding won Fairyhouse's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase under jockey Darragh O'Keeffe.
The son of Mahler had failed eight times previously but today's race was confined to horses rated 109 or lower over hurdles with O'Keeffe - who is on a roll, biding his time before pegging back clear front-runner Sainte Dona (6/4f) in the home straight, to score comfortably.
Potters Party carries the colours of the Pot Hunters with De Bromhead's representative Robbie Power reporting “trip is what he's been crying out for. We were disappointed he didn't win a hurdle race but he seems better over fences.
“He jumped well apart from the last two but I'd say he was getting very tired in the ground. For Darragh getting from A to B was the name of the game.
“He's been crying out for a test of stamina and hopefully he can build on that now.
“They looked to go a real good gallop in the ground conditions and I don't think Darragh had much say in the matter. It suited our lad as stamina is his forte and he stayed going well.”
Quotes from Gary Carson