Slim Chance lands gamble Unraced Slim Chance landed a morning gamble when taking Down Royal’s seven furlong two-year-old maiden under Chris Hayes for trainer Jimmy Coogan. The filly was introduced into the market at 20/1 but was backed down to 7/1. Her SP was returned at 10/1. She hit the front two furlongs out and stayed on well to beat Jessica Harrington’s Backbench Blues (11/2) by a length with a further half a length back to 5/1 shot Harry Trotter. The win wasn’t unexpected as trainer Jimmy Coogan explained. He said: “We fancied her and thought she would be hard to beat. “She was working well and hopefully she will improve for that.” The well named Optimistic Syndicate are Anne O’Neill and Ian McKenzie-Smith from Kildare and Michael Dowling from Dublin. Ian McKenzie-Smith’s son Matt, a point-to-point jockey, was also part of the celebrations in the parade ring which was good to see as he had suffered a bad fall in Oldcastle on April 24. Michael Graham
