Bargain buy Apologise has Maghera lads in good voice Apologise has proved a real bargain buy for the Oakleaf Lads Syndicate and he followed up an initial win at the Limerick Christmas meeting by landing the Minorstown Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel. Trained near Maghera in County Derry by Gary McGill and ridden by his son Dara, the son of Fascinating Rock was picked up for just 1,000 pounds after winning at Huntingdon for Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero back in 2023. The syndicate travelled down in big numbers from the north and were in good voice after the 9/2 chance overcame a slight mistake two out and drew clear on the run-in to beat The Dawn by nearly five lengths. Go Gill Go was a further six and a half lengths back in third. Dara McGill said afterwards, "There is a bus load of the lads here today so I knew the pressure was on and crossing the line I definitely heard them! "He has stepped forward from Limerick so hopefully can stay going the same way. Sometimes he shifts himself to jump left over his hurdles but I got him travelling today and he went on today, which is a good thing. "Myself and my father went over to Doncaster and picked him out. He had his problems but if he keeps going the right way, you'd like to think he can continue to give the boys some more fun. "The lads are from a bar in Maghera back at home and to get 14 or 15 of them here today is brilliant. He has given them two good days out and owes us nothing at this stage." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
