Liam Burke pictured with the statues of Tim and Martin Molony after winning on Teuchters Glory © Photo Healy Racing
There was a memorable success for veteran rider Liam Burke in the bumper as he guided Teuchters Glory to success at odds of 9/2.
Trained by Burke, the Fame And Glory gelding had won a bumper at Galway on debut in 2020 and was placed over hurdles at Naas last month. Held up early but racing keenly, he improved to lead over six furlongs out and asserted early in the straight to defeat the Jamie Codd-ridden Lucky Lyreen by five lengths.
Burke became the second-oldest rider to win a race in Ireland, and the oldest for a century. The only older winning rider was 71-year-old Harry Beasley in a maiden plate at Punchestown in 1923.
A delighted Burke, who resumed race-riding in 2021 after a long absence and whose last racecourse winner was in June 1988 on Take Beating, said: "That was mighty!
"I lost weight and it was a mad notion I took to come back. My knees gave me trouble all along but I got both replaced, although it took me ages to get back right. I ride out four or five horses every day and was 66 last Monday.
"I previously rode 38 point-to-point winners and 17 on the racecourse and actually lost my 7lb and 5lb claims in the past, before the numbers went back up. My last point-to-point winners were in 1991. "
He added: "He (Teuchters Glory) is a fair horse but has been hard to keep right. We decided to come back for a bumper as I wanted to keep him as a novice for next season.
"This is very high on my career achievements and is up there with winning the Galway Plate (as a trainer).
"Everyone thinks I'm mad but you have to be mad to do this job! I'll probably keep going."
Burke intends to attend Cheltenham for a couple of days this week where his son Jonathan has some good rides including the fancied Love Envoi in the Mares' Hurdle on Tuesday.
Quotes from Tom Weekes
