Zero Fighter (right) collars One For Mum © Photo Healy Racing
Zero Fighter (10/3) made a winning debut on turf when getting up in the final stride to land the three-year-old claimer.
The Muhaarar gelding, fourth on the first of three all-weather runs in the spring, tracked the leaders and was pushed along from early in the straight by Adam Caffrey.
Moving into second a furlong out, he soon began to close on the front-running One For Mum and stayed on well to collar that rival on the line with a head the margin of victory.
“I thought he was beat but he was coming home and the lad on the outside always has the advantage here,” said winning trainer Noel Meade.
“He is what he is, obviously he's better over a mile the way he stayed on there.
“He belongs to a bunch of trainers, Gordon (Elliott), Denis Murphy, Colin Bowe, Noel Meade, Joey Logan and Peter Nolan. That's who the (DCJGPN) syndicate is.
“We have five and that's the first one that's won, they were supposed to be gone as two-year-olds!
“If he's not claimed we'll go for a handicap. We went too far with him last time and he's still unexposed.”
There were no claims for any of the runners.
Quotes from Gary Carson
