Agent Boru and Phillip Enright© Photo Healy Racing
Phillip Enright came in for a valuable spare ride on Agent Boru (12/1) who gamely landed the Grade B McHale Mayo National Handicap Chase in Ballinrobe. Shady Operator was bidding to follow up on his Killarney National success and took the field along under 7lb claimer Mike O'Connor.
His race was run, though, when Western Victory got his measure at the third last. At this point Agent Boru had made progress to close.
He soon moved second but there was five horses bunching up racing to the second last as The Dabbler and Conor Orr struck the front.
Agent Boru dropped to fourth after this fence and was ridden by Enright. To his credit he improved into a close second behind The Dabbler at the 15th and final fence.
He collared The Dabbler in the final 150 yards of this two mile seven test and increased the gap to a length and a quarter at the line.
The Dabbler finished second at 10/1 with Western Victory a fine third at 12/1.
“I got a phone call to say he (Ricky Doyle - got fall earlier on the card) was sore and that he wouldn't be riding,” said trainer Tom Gibney.
“It’s just brilliant though. When you feel like it’s not going to go your way and then suddenly it does.
“The owners have been great — for a syndicate in particular — they’ve been very patient.
“He absolutely lost his way for two years. He had a condition called kissing spines — I just wasn’t aware of it for a long time.
“When we did finally discover that he’s been like a new horse.
“It took time for him to get his confidence back but this season he really has and he’s just going from strength to strength again.
“He’s tiny and though he’s a real stayer I was thinking today going to the last - just how well will you stay, but he did.”
Keith Donoghue secured an across-the-card double at Tipperary and Ballinrobe, and Enright repeated the feat as he scored on Nelson's Point in Tipperary.
Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy
