Crackerdancer and Eoin O'Brien beating Cordovan Brown© Photo Healy Racing
Crackerdancer joined the select band of three-time bumper winners when adopting her usual front-running tactics to land the Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares Flat Race at Navan.
The conditions were very testing for this Listed race and Eoin O’Brien’s mount had the 13-runner field well strung out with a quarter of a mile to go. Cordovan Brown threw down a strong challenge at the furlong pole but Ray Hackett’s charge stayed on very gamely in the closing stages to score by three quarters of a length. Redhotfillypeppers kept on one paced a further three and a quarter lengths away in third.
O'Brien picked up a three days suspension for his use of the whip on the winner in the closing stages, while Finny Maguire was cautioned by the stewards for a similar offence on the runner-up.
Hackett said, "She's wicked tough. Eoin said she was battling and battling the whole way and that he didn't think for a minute he was going to get beaten. She was giving him everything.
"I'm delighted for Patsy (O'Brien, owner) and the whole family. It's grand to win a race like that.
"She was taken on early and maybe that helped. Eoin was happy to let her roll at that pace. Even a bit further would suit. She'll stay all day.
"There's a mares' hurdle in Limerick at Christmas and she'd good to jump. She's deadly accurate."
When asked about the Cheltenham Bumper he said, "She's unbelievably tough and genuine and straightforward but I'll talk to the lads."
(MG & AM)
