Image © Healy Racing
Willie Murphy saddled his second winner of the week in a welcome sign that his stable has turned a corner when Grange Soldier won the Boomerang.ie Maiden Hunter Chase at Tipperary on Thursday evening.
Willie Murphy saddled his second winner of the week in a welcome sign that his stable has turned a corner when Grange Soldier won the Boomerang.ie Maiden Hunter Chase at Tipperary on Thursday evening.
Sent off as a 4/1 shot following the defection of the hat-trick seeking Cons Roc, Barry O’Neill’s mount travelled strongly as it was the favourite Don’t Matter Now and Lisleigh Lad that cut out much of the running.
O’Neill was full of confidence as he loomed alongside entering the straight as Cathal Sheehan, on his first start under rules, encountered tack difficulties as his saddle was slipping aboard the favourite.
To his credit, Sheehan was able to keep his mount in the race however Grange Soldier had been able to open up a lead in the straight and although the favourite did close on the run-in, there was still a length separating the pair at the line, with Petit Mike a further two lengths back in third.
“To be honest, I rode him in a point-to-point and he felt a completely different horse today. Willie’s horses were under a bit of a cloud, but I knew at the start that he felt great and was well in himself,” the winning rider said.
“Pa King was to ride him today but he could not be here under the difficult circumstances [his cousin Michael Byrne was laid to rest earlier today].”
