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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Zefania grinds out victory in mares maiden

Wed 4th Sep 2024, 15:44

Zefania and Alex Harvey Zefania and Alex Harvey
© Photo Healy Racing

Zefania stayed on stoutly to open her account over jumps in the mares maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan this afternoon.

The John McConnell-trained mare went to post 15/8 favourite in the two-mile-three contest and was driven into the lead before the final flight.

33/1 shot Lady Nightingale came to press her over the last but the daughter of Maxios found plenty for Alex Harvey to record a two-length success.

The winner had run with promise, on her return from a long absence, when fourth at Tramore last month.

Harvey said:- “It took her a very long time to warm up into things. I was getting in under my hurdles and after a mile I was able to switch her out and she warmed into it then.

“We went a good gallop but she’s a mare that has competed in Group company as a three-year-old, so I wanted to make plenty of use of her class and I knew she stayed.

“I rode her in Tramore over two miles on good ground and I thought all she wanted was further.

“She’ll be an exciting mare and she goes with a bit of an ease and can train on into the autumn/winter time.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)

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.