Celtic Crown, right, resolute at the business end© Photo Healy Racing
John Murphy's Celtic Crown (20/1) finished her race off well along the stands' side rail to win the fillies' handicap over a mile in Gowran Park.
Jockey Niall McCullagh lost his right iron in the final furlong but kept his mount balanced and had a willing partner.
She led narrowly passing the furlong pole and fended off the closing Pachmena (50/1) and MK Drama (4/1f) by a neck and a head respectively. The favourite's effort can be marked up as she suffered a less than clear route.
McCullagh said:- “That was scary! She just shimmied underneath me and with the rain my foot slipped out of the iron about a furlong out.”
Assistant trainer George Murphy added:- “I actually didn't know what had happened until he told me afterwards.
“I wasn't sure what was happening as he was bouncing in a funny sort of a way!
“We're very happy with that. We were a little bit concerned about the rain beforehand, and it getting softer, but she seemed to handle it okay and stuck at it.
“She won last year on nicer ground so she's probably fairly versatile. We'll look for something similar again.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
