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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Roche swoops on Devonshire

Sun 12th Oct 2014, 14:03

Devonshire beats Corail in the Curragh Devonshire beats Corail in the Curragh
© Photo Healy Racing

Sheikh Mohammed’s Devonshire stepped up on her previous efforts to get off the mark in the seven furlong fillies’ maiden at the Curragh.

She came into this 23-runner race as the most experienced (with Ask Me Nicely having had four racecourse outings which had yielded best finishes of two runner-up spots. Private Paradise who attracted support this morning from 12/1 to 8/1, showed good speed to blaze a trail. She was grabbed under a furlong out by Corail but Devonshire and Leigh Roche moved through from third to pick off that one close home and win by half a length at 7/1.

Trainer Willie McCreery said: “She had to do the donkey work at Roscommon, but Leigh was able to sit in today and she did it well. The bit of experience helped her. I don’t know is she will run again this year. She had a mid-season break which helped her and we’ll have to see if there is anything for her.”

Corail, on her second start for Paul Deegan, took second at 16/1 having been as big as 25/1 before racing. Private Paradise (7/1) kept on for third, beaten another two and a quarter lengths. New Alliance the 9/2 favourite for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning, was pulled up early on apparently injured.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

1st
7/1
Tote €6.70 €2.50
2nd
0.5L
16/1
€4.60
3rd
2.25L
7/1
€2.00
4th
nk
20/1
bf
9/2Fav
About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.