Gilligan father and son team make winning cross-channel raid with Born By the Sea

HAVE horse will travel. It’s been an attitude which has served Galway trainer Paul Gilligan well down through the years.

But the Craughwell-based handler’s latest successful cross-channel venture was particularly emotional as one of his four sons, Jack, was in the saddle.

The father and son Gilligan team successfully swooped with Born By The Sea in the Sixt Car Graduation Chase at Wetherby in North Yorkshire last Wednesday.

With racing so competitive in Ireland, especially given the continued dominance of the Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott stables, Gilligan has never been afraid to spread his wings in search of winners.

But after making an entry for Born By The Sea in the £8,000 contest, Gilligan was pleasantly surprised when only three runners ended up being declared for the race.

“It was undoubtedly a help, but these three-runner fields can be tactical affairs run at a false pace. They rarely are easy races to win,” said Gilligan.

On ratings, Born By The Sea had something to find with Dan Skelton’s The Mulcair and the 11/10 favourite Geordie B, trained by Venetia Williams.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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