Killian Leonard is about to be mobbed by owner Simon Mulvany as Garvan Donnelly looks on© Photo Healy Racing
Catwildo just prevailed in the Holcroft Motors No. 1 For Peugeot Hill Sprint Handicap, scoring under Killian Leonard for Garvan Donnelly.
Successful over the course and distance last July, the six-year-old daughter of One Cool Cat, won at Down Royal on her penultimate start, before going down by just a nose at Ayr earlier this month.
Sent off a 9/2 chance this evening, she was settled behind the leaders. She improved to lead with over a furlong to race and soon came under pressure, staying on well inside the final furlong, just holding off the challenge of Suburban Sky by a nose.
The runner-up was returned at 8/1 (from 14's) under Shane Foley for Harry Rogers, while Oor Jock (5/1), who was short of room close home, was a further length and a quarter back in third, with Colin Keane in the saddle for Adrian McGuinness. Ucanchoose Declan McDonogh aboard for Andy Slattery, was sent off the 7/2 favourite and he finished a disappointing eleventh.
Garvan Donnelly said afterwards: "We would have settled for a dead-heat.
"It's great for Simon (Mulvany, of the winning owners the Catshipper Partnership) who is on the race committee here and sponsors the Fast Shipping Hurdle.
"It's a local winner for both me and Simon and Gerry Clarke as well.
"She's very consistent. She was unlucky at Ayr where she was just chinned and is very very game.
"She does her job every year and I'd love to have a few more like her.
"I thought the handicapper had been hard enough on her, giving her 9lb for Down Royal and 4lb for Ayr. I thought he had a hold of her. She's never won off anything as high.
"She'll get a run on the beach now (Laytown). We have nothing to lose and she handles Dundalk as well so could be campaigned there."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
