Coeur D'or (nearest) gets up to beat No More Porter© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld was back in the headlines again at Galway this evening as Coeur D'or swooped late to edged a thrilling finish to the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Ballybrit.
The Dubawi colt went to post a 14/1 shot in the E120,000 contest and was held up from his draw in stall 15.
Chris Hayes angled to the outer before the straight on the seven-year-old and made up ground wide turning for home.
He got a good tune from his mount inside the final furlong as he finished off powerfully to dispute with No More Porter in the closing stages.
Coeur D'or just edged ahead in the shadow of the post to record a head victory. Dunum who had travelled well to lead turning for home, was three-parts-of-a-length back in third.
It was a fifth win in the race for Weld and he said:-
"He is a very consistent horse, this was the plan and he delivered. He had been running very consistently all year and is a brave horse.
"I was worried about the ground as he is very effective on a slightly quicker surface. A mile is his trip but he was a very immature horse in his early days and took a long time to come to hand but patience paid dividends.
"He has two great owners Stephen O'Connor and Mark Phelan and I'm delighted for them."
O'Connor added:- "I was 50/50 involved with two horses with Dermot in the past who won here including Rite Of Passage (Ascot Gold Cup winner) who we sold before he went on to better things.
"I couldn't believe Coeur D'or's price today."
Hayes told RTE:- “He's a right old horse. He got me the full Flat tracks in Ireland last year when I won a maiden on him in Laytown.
“He just tries so hard. I got a bit back on my run on him in Leopardstown and I just said to the boss 'can me put the tongue-strap back on him?'.
“He got into some rhythm today, they went a lovely gallop. I thought the ground was too slow and in fairness to connections they just said do your own thing as you know him well.
“The boss said whatever you do commit to it, if it's coming wide come wide and if it's going down the inside go down the inside. He helped me every step of the way.
“I was on the verge of the new and old ground and I thought if I could keep that line and hold it I had every chance.
“He's a legend, he's a great little horse. I'm very fond of him anyway and he's after earning me a fair few quid so I like him even more now!
“I'm a part-time farmer now, I'm married and she'll be watching in so I'd say an extension is on the cards as well.
“To be honest I told the boss not to run him so thank-God he doesn't listen to me anyway!”
(Additional reporting by Tom Weekes)
