In The Well hits the front close home from What's Happening on the rail and Chiltern Hills back in third© Photo Healy Racing
In The Well sprang a 16/1 shock in the last at Listowel this afternoon, a bumper over 2m 4f, for trainer Audra Busteed with John Thomas McNamara in the saddle.
The son of Flemensfirth didn’t go unsupported however and was backed this morning from as big as 50/1 into 16's at the off.
The 6yo gelding was having his first start on the track this afternoon having put in three poor efforts in point-to-point's.
His last run came at Kilmallock in April where he pulled up in the race won by Wiseoverbury.
Having raced in mid-division for much of today's contest he closed on the leaders five furlongs from home.
He was then ridden in seventh approaching the straight but kept on well under pressure to challenge inside the final furlong and he kept on best from there to lead near the line.
What’s Happening for Laura and Michael Hourigan put in a gallant effort to finish just three parts of a length back in second at 3/1 while the 2/1 favourite Chiltern Hills for Willie and Patrick Mullins was just half a length back in third.
Tom Busteed, husband of the winning trainer and owner of the horse, said afterwards: "John Thomas rode him in a point-to-point last year and he spent all day in the air!
"He told me not to run him in another point-to-point but I brought him back this year and ran him in Kilmallock and I was disgusted when he didn’t jump a fence.
"He had done some very impressive work in the meantime so I decided to run him in a bumper but it had to be over two and a half miles. This was a winners race but we just had to go for it.
"He is a relentless galloper and I had a few quid on him this morning at 33/1.
"We are all about pre-training and breaking horses and to have a winner on the track is just great. It is very rare that we had one good enough."
Busteed went on to explain why no jockey was declared to ride the winner when final declarations were issued yesterday saying: "I had John Thomas booked for the last week but I couldn’t gain access to a computer yesterday to declare him for the ride."
Donal Murphy & Thomas Weekes
