Hell Cat Maggie and Barry Geraghty in Clonmel© Photo Healy Racing
With four runner-up finishes in her locker Hell Cat Maggie got her elusive first win in the extended two mile maiden hurdle at Clonmel.
Barry Geraghty had Edward O’Grady’s mare a close-up third on the inner coming to the third last. A good jump there took her into the lead which she never relinquished.
Driven by Geraghty between the last two flights, the five-year-old in the hood responded to win by five lengths and ensure favourite backers collected at 5/4.
"From my first twenty-three runners since May 1st I've had nine seconds and three thirds, so they have been running very well and maybe lady luck smiled on us today,” Edward O’Grady said.
“She certainly deserved to win even though it was over a shorter than what she had been running over. We were hopeful that she would be good enough in this sort of contest.
“She will probably go for a handicap next and she might even go for a race in Galway.”
Paul Flynn’s Steel King has assumed the lead before halfway in this contest before being passed by Hell Cat Maggie. He chased the mare in second, but made a bad blunder at the last. Despite this he held on for second at 25/1, a short head in front of Indian Fairy who kept on well for third at 33s.
Hell Cat Maggie’s last two runner-up finishes came over two and a half miles, including a race here.
Her owner Kieran Cotter is originally from Kilmacthomas in Co Waterford and works in London.
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy
