All The Chimneys & Shane Fitzgerald (nearest) jump last as Darragh O'Keeffe does well to stay with Defan © Photo Healy Racing
All The Chimneys sprang a 20/1 shock in a dramatic finish to the Littleton Handicap Chase at Thurles, giving Lenny Flynn his first racecourse win as a trainer. Defan led them down to the final fence in the two-mile-two contest but was pestered by a loose horse and a bad blunder there ended his chances.
All The Chimneys and Shakeytry fought it out on the run-in with little to split the pair flashing past the post wide apart.
Shane Fitzgerald had his mount in front at the line to secure a head victory.
Flynn, a former amateur jockey, said afterwards:- Flynn, “I have this horse a couple of months.
“Tadgh (Hogan, owner) has a young horse with me and he said the old boy might need a change of scenery to perk him up again.
“He ran well in Cork the last day (when second over hurdles) and seems to be back to himself now. It’s great to have a horse like him and an owner like Tadgh — he’s a gentleman.
“I’ve had success in point-to-points but that’s the first winner I’ve trained on the track. Breaking and pre-training is my game and if the lads want to leave one then I’ll train it.
“It’s nice to get that and hopefully we can keep things going.”
(Quotes by Alan Magee)
