Vischio (2nd left) and Gary Carroll© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Dick Donohoe enjoyed the biggest win of his trainer when sending out 16/1 chance Vischio to take the Listed Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Finale Stakes at the Curragh.
The Gowran based trainer has sent out plenty of winners under both codes over the years but the six-year-old daughter of Holy Roman Emperor provided him with what is by far the most significant.
A dual winner already this season, Vischio stepped forward yet again when runner-up in the October Handicap at Leopardstown last month.
However, even given her subsequent weight rise, she still looked up against it this afternoon racing off just 88, in a race which included a trio of horses with triple digit ratings.
Despite appearing to have a mountain to climb, Vischio arrived ful of running on the inner over a furlong out before quickening up smartly when asked to do so by jockey Gary Carroll.
Always holding the late challenge of Helvic Dream the six-year-old went on to win by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Dick Donohoe said: “It’s absolutely brilliant for the syndicate involved — my cousin Michael and his sister Mag and the sons.
“She was bought for a good friend of mine John Kennedy who was fighting cancer at the time. She was second in a seller and we were able to claim her for about 8,000.
“She won a hurdle race just before Michael died and the current syndicate have had nothing but fun with her ever since.
“She started off this spring and has been at nearly every Festival since. We thought she might not go on heavy ground and it’s better she’s got on heavy ground.
“You could see lately she was in brilliant form and she’s really strengthened. The races have taken nothing out of her.
“She had a bit to find on several horses in the race today but there is always a chance in an end of season race that horses may not run to form and there was a chance to sneak some black type.
“She was definitely going to be in the first three under two furlongs down but to win was a dream.
“We are dealing with cheap, low grade horses most of the time and she was low grade too at one time. We never have more than about ten horses but luckily we’ve had horses that have been able to win races this year which makes it enjoyable.
“I’d say she’ll race away. I had it in my head to go to Leopardstown at Christmas for a hurdle race but I don’t know if that will happen now. She has a mark over hurdles that you’d say she might be able to compete off but we’ll have to sit down and talk with Michael and Mag.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
