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- Shabra lands on-course gamble
Donal Murphy
Shabra lands on-course gamble
Shabra Charity pings the last under Adrian Heskin
© Photo Healy Racing
The Oliver Brady trained Shabra Charity landed an on-course gamble as she took the feature at Kilbeggan this evening the Hackett's Bookmakers Handicap Chase.
Ridden by Adrian Heskin the 7yo daughter of Rudimentary was backed from 16/1 on-course to her starting price of 9/1.
On her first start in handicap company over fences, she chased the leaders for much of the race before making headway after the second last and squeezing through on the inner to lead approaching the straight.
She was ridden to assert before the last and kept on well on the run-in to win by three and a half lengths at the line.
The Denis Cullen trained Onzo Mor finished second at 6/1 (from opening show on track of 9/1) under Robbie Colgan (deputising for Paul Townend who was earlier stood down with a temperature) while the Mick Halford trained Granaruid finished a further two and a quarter lengths back in third at 12/1.
The heavily backed 9/2 favourite Liberty Counsel could only manage fifth for Dot Love and Mark Walsh having opened at 12/1 this morning with Paddy Powers and at 13/2 on course (touched 7/1).
The Shabra Charity owned winner has been busy of late and today was her eighth start since the beginning of June.
She finished a decent third at Sligo on Thursday in the handicap hurdle won by King Ali and before that she was seventh in the novice chase won by Pride Of The Arctic on the Tuesday of Galway.
She won her novice chase at Downpatrick in June and recorded her only other success when she took her maiden hurdle at Down Royal in June of 2011.
The win is Brady's sixth of the season while it's Adrian Heskin's tenth, moving him to the top of the conditional riders standings.
“I have to thank all the syndicate. The charity is from all over the country and has done a lot for sudden death in the last year – donating €40,000,” revealed assistant Anthony McCann.
“She's not a bad filly and hopefully will go on and improve. She might pick up a few novices. She's been running well and is very consistent. She just didn't get up the hill in Galway.
“Hopefully that gives Oliver a lift.”