The Gatechecker and Darragh O'Keeffe © Photo Healy Racing
The Gatechecker was gifted success in the three-miler handicap hurdle at Thurles this afternoon when Hollow Crest crashed out at the last with the race at her mercy.
Front-runner Hollow Crest had her rivals on the stretch after the penultimate flight and the 33/1 shot had a four-length advantage when falling at the final flight.
The Gatechecker was left in the lead, under Darragh O'Keeffe, and kept on to secure a length-and-a-quarter win over Citizen Al
The Michael Hourigan-trained gelding was taking a drop in class having been well held in a couple of hot Leopardstown handicaps on his last two outings.
Hourigan said:- "He ran in Leopardstown on his last two runs but just isn't good enough for those top races.
“I said to Frank (Berry, McManus' racing manager) to find a 0-116 race he could get into and while he was 2lbs too heavy today, it was a good plan to claim the 7lbs.
"He has three won this year and if you had another horse to win three every year it'd be alright!
“He is a tricky horse to train but we'll try and find something else for him now. He is fairly high over fences.
"It's nice for the man who owns him, he needs it!"
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
