Cailin Annamh survives a bad mistake at the sixth fence before winning© Photo Healy Racing
Cailin Annamh under Barry Geraghty, survived two blunders before winning the featured Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran today, claiming her 10th career win for trainer Jessica Harrington.
The race had been won on each of the last four renewals by Sizing Europe and today that now-retired star chaser's same connections were represented by well supported 7/4 favourite and Galway Plate winner Shanahan's Turn
The race also featured Grade 1 winner Clarcam and multiple winners Alelchi Inois Devils Bride Indevan and Texas Jack but in the end Cailin Annamh came out on top, despite blundering at the sixth fence and also being untidy at the third last.
Following the win, Harrington stated "she was great but thank god Barry did pony club games and hunting as he sat very well when she made the mistake (at the sixth)!
"She was tough and that's ten races she's won now and the (dry) ground is the key to her.
"She got a lead after the mistake which helped her. In Galway we made the running and put on blinkers as we thought she was getting a bit tardy and not trying. It would have been a brave call to take the blinkers off.
"She's brave, such a good mare, and she doesn't know when she's beaten. Ruby (Walsh, on runner-up Alelchi Inois) was trying to tighten her up all the way up the straight but she said 'I'm not letting you do that to me' and it's great to win this race as she's a Grade 2 winner now.
"She's a little bit ground dependent so I don't have any plans at the moment."
By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson
