Zipporah and Damien Skehan© Photo Healy Racing
Zipporah landed a tidy gamble when making all under Damien Skehan in the Kilmolash (QR) Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel.
The ten-year-old gelding was sidelined for nearly two years before returning this winter, and was well-backed this morning from 25/1 into 10/1.
Denise O’Shea’s charge set a strong gallop and had the 18-runner field well strung out approaching the straight.
The 10/1 chance kept on strongly from two out to beat 9/4 favourite Rock On Barney by six and a half lengths, with Fiesole another five and a half lengths away in third. Goodthynemilan was also a morning price plunge from 25/1 into 4/1 before drifting out on track to 7/1 at the off, and could only keep on at one pace in fourth.
O'Shea said, "She was off for two years with a tendon injury before I got her last September and she's a great mare to have.
"Johnny Clifford works for me and has done an awful lot of work with the mare and I'm delighted she has won again. Credit also goes to Damien who stole the race and gave her a cracker of a ride.
"There are two races for her at Thurles next week and, which ever one she runs in, I hope to be talking to ye again!"
(TW & AM)
