Master McShee under Ian Power with trainer Paddy Corkery© Photo Healy Racing
Forty year old jockey Ian Power bagged a first Grade 1 win when combining with two-horse trainer and dairy farmer Paddy Corkery for a fairytale success in Limerick's featured BoyleSports Faugheen Novice Chase today, with Master McShee
Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud was responsible for three of the six runners in the €100,000 contest, with his Farouk D'alene starting the 11/10 favourite.
Master McShee, backed from 14/1 to 10s, chased the leaders and, travelling well, improved to chase Farouk D'alene entering the home straight. However Farouk D'alene, under Jordan Gainford, was still clear jumping the final fence with Master McShee under pressure, but closing.
Master McShee finished powerfully, edging alongside Farouk D'alene near the line and eventually prevailing by a short-head.
For jockey Power, a one-time leading conditional jockey when based with Noel Meade, the win meant a lot and he reported “I made a few wrong choices along the way and I dropped out of racing for a while but that is brilliant.
“I live in Dungarvan and ride out for local trainers and they are very good to support me. I also do the odd day schooling here and there and I had only every ridden in one or two Grade 1s.
“This is the horse of a lifetime. He was sold for eight hundred or a thousand pounds and was gone out of the game and I was the same!”
Trainer Corkery, based in Villierstown, Co Waterford, was himself chuffed with the result, later saying “it is a fantastic result and I'm thrilled.
“He burst a blood vessel in a Grade 1 hurdle last February but we knew he was a Grade 1 horse and to be honest, today we were confident we had a right chance.
“We took out the cotton wool, started nursing him and it didn't work so we started training him properly this year. I built a shed outdoors and he started working well from that.”
He added “rumour has it we turned down good money but he wasn't for sale and you can't buy something that's not for sale.
“This is my enjoyment and my wife and kids will tell you it is a passion. I get up in the morning and ride him out every day. I started hunting at the age of forty and I'm enjoying it and that's the most important thing.
“I bought this horse from John and Morgan Sheehan and I bought another horse from them recently and would be very disappointed if he's not as good as this fella.
“I'm delighted to have given Ian his biggest winner - he is a nice fella, we get on well and he has been perfect on the horse. The horse is an absolute gentleman to his fingertips and is beautiful horse to have anything to do with.
“A glass of wine is the short term plan, and a few pints of Guinness if I can get them!”
