Manoel Marques© Photo Healy Racing
Forty one year old Brazilian Manoel Marques gained his first Irish winner at Dundalk tonight as he steered Anfaass to win the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Handicap (div 2) for his employer Thomond O'Mara.
Marques held the son of Vale Of York up in rear for much of the race but the pair finished with a rattle on the outer in the home straight. Anfaass edged left but crucially ahead close home for a head win over Three Majors with Marques marking the occasion by punching the air passing the line.
The elated jockey later said “that's my first ride here (at Dundalk, his seventh in Ireland) and I'm very happy that Thomond gave me the opportunity to ride horses in Ireland.
“I do more breeze-ups and that's the first time that the Turf Club has given me the opportunity of a license.
“I have to say thank-you very much to everybody and thank-you to Thomond for supporting me.”
He added “in Brazil I rode many winners but that is a long time ago and I've been in Ireland about seven years.
“I'm 41 and I'm from Bahia in Brazil, near Salvador (a city of 2.9 million people).”
There was however a sting in the tail for Marques who incurred 14 day bans for whip offenses from the Stewards.
The suspension was handed down for misuse of the whip relating to frequency, height & not giving his mount time to respond and he was also handed a one day ban for careless riding and ordered to attend RACE for a day for tuition on proper use of the whip.
Quotes from Gary Carson
