Bookmaker cheer as 16/1 outsider takes Plate

Date Published: 30-Jul-2009

BOOKMAKERS were left celebrating at Ballybrit on Wednesday when one of the least well backed runners in the field, Northern Ireland challenger Ballyholland, belied odds of 16/1 in the featured William Hill Galway Plate.

Fittingly, a game winner of the Galway Plate Trial in Down Royal earlier in the summer, Ballyholland was giving trainer Colm McBratney the biggest success of his career as the Andrew McNamara partnered winner came home eight lengths clear.

Indeed when Pat Fahey’s nine-year-old easily swept into the lead at the fifth last, the Garrafrauns Syndicate must have been nursing high hopes of landing the richest steeplechase on the Irish summer racing calendar, especially as Paul Nicholls’ cross-channel raider, Roby De Cimbre, was one of the first to come off the bridle.

Approaching the third last, Washington Lad opened further daylight on his pursuers as Paddy Flood’s mount set sail for home, but the chasing pack began to close on the run to the final two fences in the dip with Ballyholland travelling the best of all.

Though taking a wide berth around the home turn, the eight-year-old just had too many gears up the hill with Knock On The Head staying on the best of the JP McManus quartet to snatch second place from the gallant Washington Lad.

It proved…