Glen Orchy Lad with the winning connections© Photo Healy Racing
“It's a long time since I had a winner (2001) and I've had a lot of injuries with horses,” Jimmy Cullen said after Glen Orchy Lad was kept up to his work by Shane Shortall to win the two and a half mile handicap hurdle at Sligo.
The 10/1 shot got first run on Johnston’s Best and Drive The Bus and although the pair were closing at the finish they were beaten half a length into second and the same margin into third respectively.
Johnston’s Best saw plenty of euro throughout the day as her price contracted to 3/1 from 6s this morning. She went off favourite, but despite finishing well was held at the winning post. Drive The Bus was 10/1 for trainer/jockey Denis Hogan.
“We had to wait a long time on this horse as he was hard to train. He's right now and we'll probably give him another one of these before going chasing. My son John does the riding out and the shoeing,” Cullen added.
The Stewards interviewed D.G. Hogan, rider of Drive The Bus, concerning his use of the whip between the final turn and the winning post. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Stewards were of the opinion that D.G. Hogan was in breach of R10(3)(f) and R10(4) by using his whip with excessive frequency and by failing to give his mount time to respond. Having taken his previous record into consideration the Stewards suspended D.G. Hogan for 2 race days.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
