Reinforce and Ronan Whelan beat Only Spoofing© Photo Healy Racing
Persistence paid off for Reinforce as he opened his account at the 23rd attempt in the Newgrange Hotel Handicap over the minimum trip at Navan.
The Katy Brown-trained gelding had only beaten one home in the Rockingham at the Curragh last time and went to post a 12/1 shot today.
Ronan Whelan produced the Tasleet gelding to lead over a furlong from home and he went on to record a three-parts-of-a-length win over the fast finishing Only Spoofing
The winner was gaining a deserved success having been placed on six previous occasions.
Brown said:- "We haven't had him that long, he came from Danny Murphy's. Since he has come, he has improved away the whole time.
"He has been a bit of a frustrating horse because there has been a couple of times he should have got his head in front. I brought him to Ayr and he finished fourth and he probably should have won that day.
"He ran very well in second at Naas in a good handicap and he was third here for John O'Donoghue in a maiden.
"He's a nice little horse and he's very consistent. He's always knocking at the door but it is just nice for the lads (Orchard Garden Syndicate) to get his head in front. They have been loyal and they have stuck by him - they are from Armagh.
"It did (look a deep race for the grade) and it was no gimme by any means, but he came here in good form.
"The Rockingham wasn't really run to suit him. Today, there didn't look to be a whole pile of pace on and Ronan did the right thing, he went ahead on him."
(Quotes by Michael Graham)
