West Breeze and Chris O'Donovan© Photo Healy Racing
The Mick Winters-trained West Breeze produced a powerful front-running performance to claim the amateur rider's handicap hurdle at Clonmel.
Chris O'Donovan gave the 11/8 favourite a positive ride and had his rivals at work before the straight in the extended two-mile-two contest.
The Westerner gelding made a mistake at the second last but had plenty up his sleeve in the closing stages to post a four-and-a-quarter length win over Drumderry Harlem
West Breeze had been second over slightly further at the track last month and was opening his account at the tenth attempt today.
"He always runs consistently, he is a big leggy fella although we were worried the ground might be tacky,” said Winters.
"Chris Donovan started with Adrian Maguire and was with us but is now flying with Declan Queally - we said we'd better make use out of him after making him! Chris' family are steeped in racing and I went to college with his uncle.
"The horse has been on the go since we bought him as a three year old for E25,000 and he is owned by a great syndicate. We've had good days out but needed to get our head in front at some stage.
"Today was a long day as we had the whole yard running and we were depending on one of them to win. He needed to win today."
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
