Canning collects at Naas, as Tir Og bags her third race RTE pundit and ex-hurler Joe Canning welcomed in his syndicate-owned winner Tir Og (5/2) following the Overlander Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle at Naas today, as the progressive filly scored for trainer Eoin Seymour and jockey Calum Hogan. Racing behind the leaders, Tir Og appeared outpaced in fourth at the third-last but improved to lead at the final flight, before eventually scoring by 3.75 lengths from front-runner Our Lucky Lady . The four-year-old had gained an initial success in August when rated just 88, and having beaten today’s 112-rated runner-up, Seymour explained “she’s brilliant to train, does everything easy and seems to be improving a little bit all the time. “She’s very straightforward and we’re very lucky because mares can be tricky but she’s taking her racing very well. We’ll give her a chance to recover now, she’ll get a little break and the lads are looking at getting a race over Christmas for her.” It was the trainer’s fifth success and he added “my father used to train years ago, we have ten in training and my son Billy does a lot of the work. We are a small yard, she is by far the best one we’ve had and we’re lucky to have her. Tom Hogan (trainer of third-placed Hopeful Hero ) is a neighbour and friend, and we get on great using each other’s facilities.” Regarding the Keepthehighballslow Syndicate, which includes Canning and ex-Limerick hurler Paudie O’Brien, Seymour quipped “Johnny Moylan, from Nenagh, set it up and there seems to be more in the syndicate every day she goes out! They are having a fantastic time, they're having right craic with her and that's her third win. “I thought early in today’s race that she was under pressure but she fought back well in the end. That’s the kind of mare she is, and she always has a little bit at the end when it's needed. Calum gave her a smashing ride, didn’t push her but let her get into the race herself. I couldn’t ask for any better than that.” Quotes from Gary Carson
