Meet And Greet and Johnny Barry (right) battle on to beat Top Bandit (centre) by a nose© Photo Healy Racing
There was a head-bobbing finish to the TRI Equestrian Superstore INH Flat Race as Meet And Greet (5/1) and Johnny Barry just thwarted the late surge of Top Bandit (5/2 jt fav) and Jamie Codd by a nose.
Runner-up in two bumpers previously including when beaten just a neck at Punchestown last month, the Mustameet 5-year-old was always prominent and battled on bravely to come out on the right side of the photo-finish. The well-backed newcomer Duncreevan (40s into 12/1) shaped with promise back in third.
After Fox Fearless at 28/1 in race four, Meet And Greet was completing a 173/1 double for winning trainer Oliver McKiernan who commented: “We felt he was very unlucky the last day in Punchestown when he was only touched off. A few things went wrong and the line just came a little bit quick for him.
“Today we felt he had improved from the last run but I felt it was a hot bumper. I felt if he finished in the first three of four I'd be happy.
“Looking at the speed they went off at, it looked like a quick run bumper in my eyes anyway. I think our horse was the only one of the front bunch that stayed there.
“I thought it was a dead-heat or that we might have been second, especially when Jamie Codd is on the other side of you.
“I'm very happy to win it and I think he is a nice horse. He likes a bit of good ground and the ground is lovely here.
“I'd say he'll go to Punchestown for something and then that'll be it.
“The other horse was a bit unexpected but I thought this lad would be there or thereabouts.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
