White and green silks Paul Cawley comes with his winning run on Licklighter© Photo Healy Racing
After dead-heating in the previous event with Mister Butler Denis Hogan (had a winner at Down Royal too with Bahlwan and Paul Cawley took the full winner’s purse when Licklighter came out on top in the Ferrybank Opel Beginners Chase at Wexford.
At the end of this two and a half miler just about three and a half lengths split the first four home.
Licklighter did enough to upstage Woodbrook Boy by a neck. Hot on their heels in third and fourth were the Paul Nolan pair, Roney and Shetland Bus
After this first double for Cawley, in-form Hogan said:"Them races are a great incentive. I spent long enough giving out about the race programme but they do deserve a fair compliment for having races like that, maiden hurdles for non-placed horse and the syndicate races. They have done a great job with the calendar. No one can say there is not enough racing anymore. There is tonnes of racing on and it's great.
"Paul was good on him. He said a month ago that he was thinking of turning professional and I told him to go for it. He is well able to ride and has tonnes of experience. He won this race four years ago for me as an amateur. He is a good man over an obstacle and is definitely a hard enough worker to have a go a being a professional. I'll be supporting him plenty anyway. It's unfortunate for Shane Mulcahy who is out injured with a broken leg. We'll get him going when he gets back, he is not forgotten and we have a great team of staff.
"We got stuck in traffic on the way here and missed Mister Butler. Paul got a good tune out of both horses the last day so I let him ride both again. He was unlucky and got carried out on Mister Butler in Killarney. It looked like he was coming there to challenge but he got a somersault instead and I couldn't take the ride off him after that.
"Licklighter is entered in Galway in a hurdle but we'll see. This race was so inviting that we had to come down here. Michael Dixon left it to me. He said if you think that's where he should go, go there and if you can run him in Galway brilliant, but if not no worries. He is a gent and brilliant to deal with."
The Stewards fined Gordon Elliott, trainer, €350 for lodging a passport in respect of Pistol Shoot, in which the vaccinations did not conform with the provisions of Rule 91. The Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Pistol Shoot in accordance with the provisions of Rule 90.
D.N. Russell, rider of Monition trained by Gordon Elliott, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount jumped poorly.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer reported to the Stewards that Licklighter trained by Denis Gerard Hogan was reported to have blood on the nose as a result of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage post race.
(DM & EM)
