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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Fox & McNiff double up with Pennys

Sun 10th Aug 2014, 16:47

Mark McNiff and Derek Fox are all smiles after their doubleMark McNiff and Derek Fox are all smiles after their double
© Photo Healy Racing

Mark McNiff and Derek Fox completed a double at Downpatrick as Pennys Tune got the better of the odds-on favourite Dashing Lady in the 'Everyone Loves Downpatrick' Mares Handicap Hurdle (won the opener with Idlewild .

The seven-year-old daughter of Montjeu won over the course and distance in June and then refused to race at Sligo on her last start when favourite.

Sent off a 7/2 chance this afternoon she raced in rear before improving into third after three out.

She came with her challenge on the inner before the second last and soon hit the front, keeping on well under pressure on the run-in to score by a length and three parts.

Dashing Lady, who was sent off 10/11 favourite (opened 11/10), couldn’t peg back the

winner close home and she had to settle for second under Kevin Sexton for John Nicholson.

Mark McNiff said afterwards: “She was down too long at the start at Sligo. Once she jumped off today she was always going to win. This has been a wild lucky track for me.

"The favourite (Dashing Lady) had no form on that ground and she had form on all ground. We might come back here next time and then look at the flat and then maybe try to get her to Listowel. We could go to England for a two mile flat race."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.