Happy Madden's Sarah-Ann and Tom with an even happier Ben Dalton and a contented Shake The Bucket© Photo Healy Racing
Shake The Bucket has been a tremendous servant for his owner, well-known point-to-point aficionado, Sarah Ann Madden, and the Ashkalani gelding, who himself began life 'between the flags,' got off the mark over racecourse fences in the Courtown Beginners Chase at Wexford.
With local jockey Ben Dalton in the plate, Shake The Bucket, second in this event a year ago, travelled well through the two mile three furlong event.
Once he overcame a peck at the last, the 5/1 chance stayed on well from there home to run out a pretty convincing winner over the market-leader Silver Chief
Father to the winning owner and victorious trainer Niall Madden said: "He was unlucky last year. That race suited him well as it was for horses rated 109 or less over hurdles.
"The way he settles he will get further. He loves Dundalk but he also won a point-to-point on his first ever start.
"Niall (son, Grand National winning jockey, 'Slippers,' out after a nasty spill at Clonmel) is doing well, he is off the crutches now and hopefully he will back for Galway or by September."
Owing to the low elevation of the sun, the Stewards granted permission for the third last fence to be omitted on both circuits.
(DM & EM)
