She Is Electric and Robbie Geoghegan © Photo Healy Racing
She Is Electric sprang a 16/1 surprise in the Pat Walsh Memorial Irish EBF Mares Hurdle.
Robbie Geoghegan, unable to utilise his 7lb claim in the Listed contest, set off in front and soon built up a clear lead and nothing could get past the daughter of Jeremy.
The 6/4 favourite Champagne Problem tried to lay down a challenge from early in the straight but was a length and a half adrift at the line.
Winning trainer Norman Lee said: “It's a great result. We said we'd try and steal a march on them. If you are not brave you are nothing in life.
“Robbie gave her a super ride. He works for me everyday and was in the yard at 6am this morning and we got them out in the pouring rain.
“We came down and we won the listed race in Gowran so that's all that matters!
“She belongs to a good friend of mine, Eddie Naughton, we own her half and half.
“We always knew she was a decent filly, she had a few little problems early on. That will do her book good and she's a valuable filly now.
“She's a proper little one. I bought her myself at the sales, as a three-year-old, for handy money. I asked a good few lads to buy her and they wouldn't buy her.
“Eddie stood in and gave me a good few quid for her so it's great. It pays dividends to have a sound man own her with you as you can do what you like.
“We were expecting her to be in the first three with a bit of luck because we said we'd take them off their feet.
“She's a handicapper to jump, she'd jump out of jail for you. We loose school her, we never sit on her back over hurdles.
“She did it great, we're over the moon. It's great for the lads at home, we've a small team. There are four of us there and we get the thing done. We'll stay small because you get your job done that way.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
