Tudor City (white face, Fran Berry up), beats Its Harrys Girl (centre) and Sakhees Jack (blinkers)© Photo Healy Racing
Taken in from bigger prices last evening, into 5/2 favouritism, Tudor City landed the gamble to bring up a double for Tony Martin, getting up for a head win over Sakhees Jack under Fran Berry, in the Arthur Guinness Handicap at Galway.
Earlier on the mark with Vive La France for Barry Connell, here Martin again teamed up with his Galway Hurdle winning partner, John Breslin, for this victory with Tudor City (equipped with a first time tongue-strap).
In a blanket finish dead-heaters Its Harry Girl (66/1 chance) and Maknificent were a neck back in third.
"I thought I'd won and everyone told me I'd won but the longer you're waiting for a result the more you begin to doubt yourself," explained Berry after getting his well-bred (by Yeats out of Shes Our Mare) mount home.
"He done well, he was very green and when I came around the horse on the outside he was just very green, getting a few bumps, and it was hard to get him organised, but he found plenty when it mattered.
"He put his head down to the line. It's tough going out there - it's yesterday's ground. It's very patchy and it's hard to get a horse organised and balanced but thankfully we got the result.
"He had two tough opponents on his inside - Sakhees Jack is a hardened horse."
Breslin commented: "It was a close one. He's a bit green. He'll come on a lot for it. The ground is pretty tacky out there as well. He wouldn't have liked that. We'll look after him, I think he's a good prospect.
"Hopefully we'll go on and do better things with him."
(TW & EM)
