Grade 2 success for Moonverrin in dramatic mares bumper The concluding Coolmore NH Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Leopardstown provided a highly dramatic finish with Moonverrin just coming out on top to land the Grade 2 spoils. The Martin Hassett-trained 20/1 shot travelled best under Finny Maguire to lead just over a furlong out but idled badly as soon as she got to the front. This left Tiktok Casey back in with a chance while Royal Hillsborough, who was under pressure towards the rear early in the straight, challenged between the pair and came through to lead. Royal Hillsborough’s rider Stephen Connor appeared to mistake the 50-yard marker for the winning post and eased his mount in the closing stages to be beaten a shorthead by Moonverrin. Tiktok Casey was a further length and a half back in third. Hassett said, “My nephew rang him (Maguire) this morning because he rides her the whole time. We said ‘if you get done for being late we won’t mind’ because once she hits the front she actually stops. “What could he do. He said she didn’t travel down the back but the way she battled back! I’m speechless, it’s the first time ever! “This is for all the lads at home. It’s not just me, it’s all the boys at home. “We don’t ever ring a jockey beforehand, but my nephew Michael rides her the whole time and he knows her so we just said we’d let him know that if he gets done on the line for being late we wouldn’t lose a night’s sleep over it. “His hand was drawn; he was just cruising. It looked down the back like she was struggling but she just devoured the ground. She came home like a train but in saying that she had to battle at the same time. “I still think we don’t know how good she is. The way we train them at home, up the hill, we don’t ever drill them. “She’s working with Battle Of Ridgeway, who runs tomorrow, and he’s a good yardstick. I’d give him a serious shout tomorrow. “It’s our first graded winner and it’s special, especially at the Dublin Racing Festival. She’s going to be entered in everything but whether we go to Cheltenham or wait for the mares’ races, we’ll see. “The young lad warned me ‘don’t mention Cheltenham!’ so we’ll probably wait and see. She’ll probably get an entry but whether she goes or not time will tell.” When asked if they have received offers for her after her previous win he added, “We did but she’s not for sale.” Connor subsequently confirmed to the stewards that he'd mistaken the winning post and was hit with a 14-day suspension, while Tiktok Casey's rider Adam Ryan was given a five-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency.. Quotes by Gary Carson
