Kilashee and Shane Fitzgerald © Photo Healy Racing
Third reserve Kilashee (7/1) was one of three to get in from the subs bench for the Ballinrobe Racecourse Centenary Year Handicap Hurdle (Div I) and took full advantage by making all the running.
The daughter of Oscar, a creditable fourth in maiden company at Sligo last week, went a good clip in front under 7lb claimer Shane Fitzgerald and had most of her rivals in trouble after the second-last. My Newbrook Rose looked a threat until a mistake at the last proved her undoing with Ricky Doyle’s reins breaking on the eventual third in the closing stages, and it was Different Beat who was the last to challenge the front-runner but she was held by a length and three quarters at the line.
Winning trainer John Ryan continues in terrific form and said: “She stays well and has a lovely pedigree. She is a half-sister to (eight-time winner) Kilcarry Bridge and the dam is an own sister to Irish National winner Hear The Echo. She did that well.”
“She could be very good. She had a wind operation and Tom O’Brien, the head man in Halleys, deserves great credit for getting her here.
"She’s an Oscar and it’s very important for her to win a race.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
