Red letter day for Houlihan as Nan's takes bumper Nan’s Choice attracted good support in the bumper at Gowran Park today and that confidence proved well founded as she struck to give Dungarvan trainer Conor Houlihan his first winner. The Getaway filly had finished fourth on her debut at Limerick over Christmas and went to post a 5/1 shot today, having traded as big as 14/1. Barry Stone sent his mount up to dispute early in the straight but 8/13 shot Luciole Des Bordes moved ominously well to share the lead. She could find no more over a furlong from home though as Nan’s Choice bagged the lead and stayed on stoutly in the closing stages to post a five-length success. The winning trainer said afterwards:- "I'm from Dungarvan, have been in horses all my life and grew up next to John and David Kiely, so I was bitten by the bug. “I worked for a few seasons on the (Owning) Hill at Joseph O'Brien's and I've been all over the world working for Will Biddick and Paul Nicholls in the UK, for Kieran Maher in Australia and I rode a few point to point winners in England. "This mare's owner Anthony Murphy is from the same Brickey Rangers GAA club as me and around this time last year, he asked me to work for him. I got my license out in November and I'm delighted to get the monkey off my back, with my sixth runner. "Anthony bought her as a foal, she was raised on his farm and has come on in leaps and bounds, having run a cracker on her debut." (Quotes by Tom Weekes)
