Nells's Well and Mark McDonagh jump the last© Photo Healy Racing
Grade 3 winner Nell's Well registered a third career win today, as the Sean O'Brien trained mare landed Cork's Con-Neigh's Yard Handicap Hurdle, under Cheltenham winning jockey Mark McDonagh.
McDonagh steered Joseph O'Brien's Banbridge to win Friday's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Hurdle at Cheltenham and today gained a second course and distance win with Nell's Well, which won a three-miles Grade 3 at the track in December.
O'Brien today said “I was apprehensive about running as the ground was a concern. Her best form is with a dig but we walked it and knew it was safe.
“For a handy sized mare she was giving away plenty of weight and I thought she was impressive and looked a winner from a long way out. I thought he gave her a lovely, patient ride.
“She wasn't scoping perfect after her last run and we had to give her a break so it has taken her longer to get out. I would say it is another step forward .
“Where she goes next is all ground-dependent but I can't wait until she goes over a fence because she is dynamic at jumping fences and that's really what I'm looking forward to.”
He added “I have five or six horses to run, I'm very quiet. We normally have a few that we breed ourselves to run away but have scaled back on that because the numbers were getting too big and with not enough good broodmares.
“My owners are keeping the show on the road and this is brilliant.”
