Globetrottersivola (centre) and Darragh O'Keeffe© Photo Healy Racing
Globetrottersivola continued a good season for trainer Philip Rothwell when finishing best to take an exciting division two of the Mahon Hospitality Group New York Handicap Hurdle at Kilbeggan.
The seven-year-old gelding made headway approaching the last where he made a slight mistake but the 5/1 chance responded to Darragh O’Keeffe’s urgings on the run-in to get up in the closing stages. Crafty Gael came home well half-a-length back in second with Red Striker weakening back to finish another half-a-length further away in third.
Rothwell said, “I was hoping to have him for this race as Oliver (Barden, owner) and John (Mahon, sponsor) are very good friends and we won this race before with Berliet Express.
“My staff at home have worked tirelessly with this horse for the last three or four days. He had a little drop in a foot and my farrier has put in huge work.
“Many thanks to them all and it’s paid off.
“He always travels well and doesn’t find a huge amount. He’d a very good run in Cork the last day and if we hadn’t missed a day or two earlier in the week we’d have been a little bit more confident.
“He might run again at Tramore on Sunday week.”
Rothwell is now on the ten winner mark for the season and is fifth numerically in the jump trainers table.
