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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Stratos off the mark over jumps

Sun 15th Mar 2015, 16:07

High Stratos, left High Stratos, left
© Photo Healy Racing

High Stratos was delivered with a well-timed charge on the run-in to open his account over jumps in the Navan Shamrock Festival Maiden Hurdle.

Barry Geraghty 's mount wore down Speed Demon on the run-in and was going away at the line for a four-and-a-quarter length victory in the two-and-a-half mile contest.

The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding had won a bumper at Punchestown last May before finishing mid-division on his hurdling debut at the same course a few weeks later.

He was making his first start since finishing third in a Flat maiden at Ballinrobe last July.

"He was entitled to do that the way he won the bumper in Punchestown. He just doesn't jump the greatest but he's getting there," said Harrington.

"The further he went the better he was and we'll probably go up in trip. I'd say to three miles."

This gave Harrington an across-the-card double as Keppols Queen took Grade 3 novice hurdle glory in Limerick.

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.