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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Deserved win for well-backed Count

Mon 15th Sep 2014, 15:35

Count Of Carabass and Chris Hayes (yellow) get the better of Fix It and Dans Girl (nearest)Count Of Carabass and Chris Hayes (yellow) get the better of Fix It and Dans Girl (nearest)
© Photo Healy Racing

The well-backed Count Of Carabass got up close home to land the Feale Handicap, scoring under Chris Hayes for Hilary McLoughlin (her first winner since May 2011).

Owned by the Gold & Blue Syndicate the bay gelding finished second at Limerick and Naas earlier this summer before disappointing on yielding ground on his last start again at Naas.

Available at 11/2 last night the son of Ad Valorem was backed from 5/1 this morning, going off the favourite at 7/2.

Having raced in mid-division he improved to take closer order over two furlongs out. He was ridden from over a furlong from home and kept on best, getting up close home to score by a neck. Fix It (9/2) who hit the front a furlong and a half from home had to settle for second under Ross Coakley for Johnny Murtagh while Dans Girl ran a cracker just a short head back in third, coming from well off the pace under Ian Queally for Pat Flynn.

Hilary McLoughlin said afterwards: "Hopefully Tipperary will win the All-Ireland now in a fortnight's time to complete the double!

"He is a home-bred, and he has been second three times this year, beaten by a short head and a head. He really deserved to win and he is probably unlucky that he hasn’t won before today, I’m delighted.

"Chris knows him well as he rode him a few times before."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

1st
7/2Fav
Tote €4.30 €1.30
2nd
nk
9/2
€2.00
3rd
nose
16/1
€2.50
4th
1.75L
5/1
About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.