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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Mullins & Connell double up in the last

Mon 12th May 2014, 20:47

Ballychorus is driven out by Katie Walsh to beat Fort Smith Ballychorus is driven out by Katie Walsh to beat Fort Smith
© Photo Healy Racing

Mags Mullins and Barry Connell completed a first and last race double at Killarney, as Ballychorus took the finale, the Killarney Racegoers (Ladies) INH Flat Race, under Katie Walsh.

The five-year-old daughter of King's Theatre, who has been mixing it between bumpers and maiden hurdles, was sent off the 7/2 second favourite.

Having led from flag fall, she was pressed two furlongs out by Fort Smith but once Katie Walsh got serious aboard the bay victor, she picked up again, keeping on well close home to score by four and a half lengths.

Fort Smith kept on to take second at 6/1 under Lisa O'Neill for Gordon Elliott, while newcomer Liss Ui Riain (12/1) was a further three parts of a length back in third under Shelia Ahern for John Kiely. The Herds Garden was sent off the 6/4 favourite under Nina Carberry for Noel Meade, but he could only manage a disappointing sixth.

Mags Mullins said afterwards: "She had a lovely couple of runs during the winter but then I left her down as I thought she was immature. She was June foal.

"She will be nice to go over hurdles, but I'll have to talk to Barry about what she does next."

The winner is a half-sister to three time Grade One winner Follow The Plan, who won the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2011, before springing a 50/1 surprise in the Betfred Bowl at Aintree the following year.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.