Minella For Value and Davy Russell at Ballinrobe© Photo Healy Racing
Although the well-backed morning price favourite Tom Horn was a non-runner due to being found lame, Minella For Value landed plenty of bets when justifying 13/8 favouritism in the Ballinrobe Race Committee Chase (from 11/4 in the betting ring).
The seven-year-old gelding led after two out and showed a good attitude to press on under Davy Russell for a two and three quarter length success. Fantastic Gold worked her way through to second after the final fence, but that was as good as it got for the seven-year-old mare who was 12/1. Rockshandy who cut out most of the pace, dropped to third after a mistake at the last. His price was 13/2.
Trainer John Nallen said: “He’s the horse that nobody wanted! He won his bumper in Cork and was due to go to the sales, but jumped a gate the day before he was due to go and he missed the sales engagement.
“When we did get him to Brightwells nobody wanted him. He’s an honest staying chaser and keeps galloping and he wants good ground.
“We’ll keep going until he says stop, but he appears better on better ground. A race like the Cork National might be next for him.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
