The grey Coolnagree (left) gets the better of Ishvana (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Coolnagree continued where she left off last season as she took the Gabriel Curran Memorial Madrid Handicap for her trainer Willie McCreery with Wayne Lordan (completing a quick double after winning aboard Chrysanthemum in the saddle.
Having won on her first start for McCreery (trained by Denis Cullen previous to that) at Leopardstown in October of last year she was then just denied on her next start again at Leopardstown going down by a neck to Backbench Blues.
Having her first start since that defeat at Leopardstown, she tracked the leaders in fourth early on before improving from two furlongs out.
She came with her challenge under a furlong from home and soon hit the front staying on well under pressure to score by a length from the Aidan O’Brien trained, Joseph O’Brien ridden Ishvana back in second at 5/1.
The 2/1 favourite Swerve for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen could offer no more when headed by the winner a furlong from home and had to settle for third at the finish.
The winner didn’t go unsupported as she was backed on track from her opening show of 4/1 into 7/2 second favourite at the off.
Winning trainer Willie McCreery said afterwards: "I'm delighted with that. She won off a mark of 80 last year and she coming here with a similar mark today.
"We will see what the handicapper does with her now. The ground is tacky but they all had to get through it."
