Shumaker© Photo Healy Racing
Full-time farrier turned part-time trainer Paul Traynor sent out his somewhat appropriately named Shumaker to win the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown today, in the process justifying strong 11/8 favouritism for jockey Donie McInerney.
The son of Whitmore's Conn landed a gamble when winning at Fairyhouse on Saturday and today, under a mandatory 5lbs penalty, made most of the running under McInerney to beat fast-finishing runner-up Dawson's Cottage by three parts of a length.
The runner-up Dawson's Cottage met traffic problems on the inside approaching the final flight and had to be switched by his jockey Niall Madden to challenge early on the run-in before finishing strongly for a never-nearer second placing.
Shumaker's win was Traynor's third since taking out his trainers' license in May and he later stated “I have four of my own in training. I’ve a couple of two-year-olds to come into me and another couple to go either in a bumper or maiden hurdle when the ground gets a bit softer over the winter time.
“It’s just me and my partner that ride away ourselves and I’m shoeing horses in the afternoon as well.”
He added “Donal gave him a super ride; he kept it simple like Darragh (O’Keeffe, suspended today) did the other day at Fairyhouse and he jumped like a buck. I thought we were going to get caught there near the end.
“He won his point-to-point on soft to heavy at Portrush so he’s quite adaptable with the ground. Fingers crossed he’ll come out of this good and we’ll line something up again.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
