McDonogh back at the number one with Fair Minded Des McDonogh bagged himself a welcome winner with Fair Minded in the Galway Handicap Hurdle. Locally trained favourite and best turned out, Yeat’s Encore, from the Yvonne Dunleavy stable, gave it a good go from the front under Darragh O’Keeffe. However she couldn’t live with the confidently ridden Fair Minded. Mark Walsh, in the J P McManus silks, guided the successful Flemensfirth mare home by two and a half lengths. Feyan (another of the fairer sex) eventually took the second spot off the aforementioned Yeat’s Encore, who was a neck back in third. “She was second at Ballinrobe and then just had an off day up the north,” said McDonogh, at the number one spot for the first time since summer 2019. “They’re saying that there’s a nice cut in it, but it’s not winter ground. She wouldn’t go on that. “We’ll likely try and get her out again before it goes.” Fair Minded was bred by McManus’ wife, Noreen, and she was getting off the mark at the tenth time of asking. R.P. Treacy, rider of Peace Party trained by Desmond McDonogh, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount hung badly and got very tired. (EM)
