Better B Quick and Ger Fox on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
The Schooling At Tipperary Beginners Chase was absolutely brimming with incident and in the end the Ger Fox-ridden Better B Quick popped up to take the spoils in the colours of HRI Chairman, Joe Keeling. Placed in a point-to-point the eight-year-old was returned at odds of 50/1. Ballinard Billy oft in the minor money himself 'between the flags' is a luckless sort and how the Jonathan Burke-ridden 95-rated performer managed to lose this two and a half miler is anyone's guess.
In a race where we had three fallers – Dun Scaith (three out when disputing) and Chief Admiral (two out when prominent) and Whitesfort Boy (two out too) – Ballinard Billy was on terms from the third and was ridden clear before the last.
However he tired on the run-in and was picked up close home by Better B Quick who had looked an unlikely winner when losing his place with a fourth last fence slight mistake.
Winning trainer Paul Stafford said: "It was a bit unexpected. We had to wait and bide our time for the right ground.
"He wasn't letting himself down on the ground at Ballinrobe.
"Today he 'ballooned' the first and he's a gassy sort of horse.
"We'll look for a handicap or a novice next over two and a half or two six in trip."
D.N. Russell, rider of Getittogether trained by C.Byrnes, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount never travelled.
(TW & EM)
