Fox subs for injured Carberry with Meade win

Conditional jockey Ger Fox capitalised from an injured Paul Carberry at Navan today, winning the www.navanracecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle on Snow Falcon for his employer Noel Meade.

Fox, who himself missed riding Meade's Road To Riches to win last year's Galway Plate through injury, was replacing Carberry who fractured a rib following his fall from Waxies Dargle at Leopardstown last weekend.

Fox improved the son of Presenting to the front at the second last flight and from there kept the gelding going for an easy six lengths win over Speed Demon

Afterwards Meade stated "Paul (Carberry) is very sore; he says he has a broken rib and there is nothing he can do with it. He said it seems to be popping in and out which doesn't sound good."

Regarding Snow Falcon, he added "I suppose on the book it looked straight-forward and he's never finished worse than second and is a fair little horse.

"He probably ran into a smart horse in Leopardstown and after passing the post, Identity Thief (winner) and him took another half mile to pull up and I'd say they're two fair horses.

"He doesn't like that ground and will be better on better. He was a bit sloppy jumping and Ger (Fox) said when he left him alone he got under them but he didn't want to ask him too much on that ground.

"We'll go for a novice, gets that trip (2m7f) and Nina (Carberry) said in the beginning a trip would suit. He'll get an entry in the two races at Cheltenham (Neptune and Albert Bartlett) and we'll see what happens."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson