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Thunderbear grinds out victory for Davison

Thunderbear and Luke McAteer (left) holds off Midnight TokerThunderbear and Luke McAteer (left) holds off Midnight Toker
© Photo Healy Racing

Thunderbear proved a game winner of the Kilminfoyle House Stud Nursery at Fairyhouse as he held on in a photo finish to the six-furlong contest.

Luke McAteer bounced out and made the running on the son of Kodi Bear and had a willing partner in the closing stages.

The Jack Davison-trained colt found plenty when pressed by Midnight Toker inside the final furlong to record a head victory at odds of 5/2.

“He's a nice horse, he showed an awful lot of ability in the spring and it just took him a while to get it together for various reasons,” said Davison.

“We finally got his trip right and the conditions, he just didn't enjoy the all-weather last week. He likes that nice ground and is a turf horse, he'll be a nice three-year-old.

“The visor is just for focus and you see there he dropped his head when he needed so he's a genuine horse.

“He's been dead reliable but it's all about getting the winning bracket, he did that today and we're delighted.”

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.