Celerity Rules© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Felim O'Dowd bridged a huge gap of more than 24 years between his last winner when winning the concluding Garlow Cross Bumper at Navan today, with Celerity Rules
O'Dowd, based in Camolin, Co Wexford has had precious few runners as a trainer since his Squires Gannon scored at the Killarney Festival in 1988 but the win will nonetheless have historians reaching for form books for similar feats!
Ridden by Mark Slevin, a first cousin of Joseph O'Brien, Celerity Rules made all and went clear early in the straight. The son of Lahib was reeled in in the closing stages by A Twist Of Fate but the winner held a two and three parts of a length advantage at the line.
O'Dowd himself went off with the winner after the win but his brother Jimmy O'Dowd did later say “Felim is based in Wexford and only has a few horses. Celerity Rues ran twice in Galway when the ground was too soft for him and hopefully with that win he can get a few more horses.”
This Noel Meade trained newcomer Bose Ikard (13/8f)was all the rage before the race, but was withdrawn minutes before the race having received a kick to his stifle at the start. There was a 35c Rule 4 deduction on board prices.
