Denis Cullen, right© Photo Healy Racing
Denis Cullen had made his way on to the trainers’ hot list with two winners from his last six runners and he’ll remain on the list for a while longer as he saddled his third victory in the last fortnight. Sebadee did the business today as he overturned recent form behind Norther Bay in Toomebridge point-to-point.
This two and three quarter mile hunter chase saw five go to post as three were declared non-runners – Backstage, Klassy and Whitty’s Choice. However it developed into a two-horse race between Norther Bay and Sebadee.
Norther Bay had beaten his rival by a length and a half in that northern point-to-point, but it was a different story with a 7lb pull in the weights here as Sebadee travelled the better of the two coming to the second last.
He landed in front after jumping that obstacle and quickened away from the last under Johnny Barry to win by 12 lengths at 10/3. Norther Bay, the runner-up, was returned the 9/10 favourite.
Denis Cullen said: “He’s not a bad sort of a horse. Mine are in good form at the minute and running well. We’ll point-to-point him away and if we get another one it’ll be great.
“We might look at hunter chases in Aintree and Cheltenham. Willie Thompson rode him the last day. He would have been struggling to ride him at today’s weights. Both himself and Johnny are good riders.”
This was jockey Johnny Barry's sixth winner on the track.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
