He Fitz In and delighted connections© Photo Healy Racing
The pre-race chat surrounded many of those that ended up outside the placings come the end of the Navan Racing Festival November 18th & 19th Handicap Hurdle. A generally bookmaker friendly result saw 12/1 shot He Fitz In lead home three big priced rivals in Proudstown Park's penultimate event.
With a visor replacing cheek-pieces He Fitz In (Shane O'Callaghan up for Davy Fitzgerald) got the better of Goodie Girl Movie King and Where's Bunny by a neck, three parts of a length and half a length.
The second (mistake at the last and never nearer than at the finish), third and fourth returned at odds of 33/1, 33/1 and 20/1 respectively, perhaps indicative of the fact that the finish was fought out off a muddling pace.
Said O'Callaghan: "The visor definitely helped and he did it well. He had cheekpieces on the last day in Kilbeggan and wasn't doing a whole pile, and stayed on well from the rear and finished fourth.
"Davy is not actually here, I was talking to him last night in Ballinrobe and he more or less said he would win today. He was instilling me full of confidence the whole time.
"I think so (more to come) - I'd say he is a horse that keeps a bit up his sleeve but as long as he keeps winning, we'll live with it."
The Raceday Stewards enquired into an incident on the approach to the second last hurdle involving Appian Way (FR), ridden by J.W. Kennedy, and Lets Do This ridden by J.C. Gainford, where it appeared that interference may have occurred. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. J.W. Kennedy stated that a gap appeared and both he and J.C. Gainford went for it at the same time and contact was made between both. J.C. Gainford confirmed the evidence of J.W. Kennedy. Having viewed the recording of the incident and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards did not apportion blame to any rider and therefore took no further action.
(MG & EM)
