Johnny Killahena (based with Michael Halford) will have more reason than most people to remember Gowran's all flat eight race card today as the 17-year-old from Ballygar, County Galway got off the mark as a jockey on Teachers Choice in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.
Despite veering to his left in the final furlong, the seven-year-old Fruits Of Love gelding, equipped with cheek-pieces and a noseband, was still three lengths too good for Kammaan Edmondstown Lass was third and Cristal Island fresh from Dundalk last night, was fourth.
Winning trainer Ado McGuinness said: "He won this race two years ago but he is a heart-break of a horse. He won't go left-handed, we tried him that way in Listowel because he was well-drawn but he just won't do it going that way around. He is in again at Roscommon on Monday and Ayr on Thursday and he'll go to one of the two."
Stephen Thorne, nephew of McGuinness, heads up the victorious grouping of owners, the Equine Business Syndicate. He is pictured on page A49 of the breeding section of today's Irish Field, graduating with his class-mates with a degree in Equine Business from NUI Maynooth.
