Celestial relishes the quick ground The Martin Brassil trained Celestial Prospect showed his love for quick ground yet again as he took the feature race at Gowran this afternoon, the Ladbrokes Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Ridden by Mark Walsh (completing a double after taking the opener on Riverside City) the eight-year-old gelding was available at 11/1 in a place last night, opening on-course at 8’s before going off a 6/1 chance. Settled towards the rear he made progress on the outer from before the fourth last and he improved into third at three out. He was ridden away from the second last and had a great battle with Acapulco Gold from there, getting on top on the run-in to score by a head at the line. The runner-up, under Kevin Sexton for Paul Nolan, was returned a 14/1 chance, while Fresh By Nature was a further six and a half lengths back in third under Mark Bolger for Jessica Harrington at 16/1. Martin Brassil said afterwards: "I had my first handicap winner in this race twenty years ago with Nordic Thorn and he was ridden by the late Anthony Powell. "This fellow ran in this last year when it was over two miles and only for they put it up to three miles he wouldn’t have been running in it this year. "He floats on that ground and that is the key to him. He could go for the two mile five furlong handicap at Galway on the Saturday and we may try to find a flat race in between. "He flew the last but the other horse missed it a bit and that was the winning of it." After the race the Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined Raajih (15/8fav who finished tenth) trained by Gordon Elliott, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be Post Race Normal. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
