Wrecking Ball Paul cornering© Photo Healy Racing
Seventeen year old Kevin Healy rode a first winner on his third ride today, landing Dundalk's Peter K. Hits The Big 50 Handicap on noted tearaway Wrecking Ball Paul (18/1), which scored in dramatic circumstances.
The 14-runner two-mile race was confined to amateur riders and while hard-pulling Wrecking Ball Paul led and soon opened up a huge lead, the chasing pack seemed to neglect the clear front-runner.
With half a mile to race Wrecking Ball Paul was 30 lengths clear, with Healy indeed being able to preserve energy on the six-year-old early in the home straight.
To Wrecking Ball Paul's credit, he found plenty when being pushed-out by Healy inside the final furlong, scoring quite easily by 15 lengths from 11/8 favourite Riyami which was never close enough to land a blow.
Delighted jockey Healy patted Wrecking Ball Paul down the neck passing the winning line, which prompted the winner to complete his now customary 'victory lap'.
Winning trainer Paul Mulligan led up the three-time winner with Healy, 17 from Kinnegad, reporting "Paul is good to ride for and he, kind of, gave me no instructions although told me to never have him going flat out.
“The horse cruised away and I didn't realise how much of a gap I got. There was no point in taking a pull five furlongs out because I realised how much horse I felt under me. He's a hardy horse and is a serious horse to stay galloping. He's a good horse and will be a nice one for a summer handicap.”
“I couldn't believe it and was delighted to get the win.”
He added “I'm doing my leaving cert, am based with Simon Kavanagh in Mullingar and I'm looking all the time for opportunities."
Today's dramatic race was reminiscent of Writers Block's 2013 50/1 shock Leopardstown success, when the point-to-point winning ten-year-old escaped from his rivals in an amateur riders' 1m6f maiden, scoring by 14 lengths.
Quotes from Michael Graham
