Akecheta lands Gowran finale for Coleman & Foley The Kevin Coleman-trained Akecheta (9/4) recorded a first win since last year's debut success at Tipperary when taking the Gowran Park For Golf Race under Shane Foley. The grey daughter of Sioux Nation, owned by Louis Walshe, had run well in several valuable 10-furlong handicaps in Britain this season. Here, dropping back to 7f, she was ridden close to the pace and led over a furlong out before fending off market leader Gleneagle Bay by three-parts of a length. “It worked out great,” said Coleman. “She was in last week, we paid the money to run in the Northfields at the Curragh. I left her in on Saturday morning but she just didn’t feel 100 percent so we didn’t declare. It’s probably just as well. “It’s good to be local because she’s been on the road a lot this year. “She’s come up against some stiff opposition in the UK but she’s been second in two handicaps (at Epsom and York) and was very unlucky in Goodwood. “She’s had a long year but I think there’s another one of these coming up in Bellewstown, she was second in it last year. We’ll probably go back there. “She’s a very good mover, she just won the first day on soft because she was good enough to win. “She goes on all ground and probably back over seven it slowed the rest of them down. “I’m not sure if the second horse got a bit of trouble in running but my one is tough and she deserved it. “It’s great for Louis because it’s local and he’s had the family a long time.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
