Whearty rides out claim at Listowel Robert Whearty forfeited his right to claim at Listowel today, bagging the Liam & Joan Healy Memorial Handicap on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flying Fortress (11/2). Jockey Whearty, whose principal supporters are Cromwell and Paul Flynn, had previously ridden Flying Fortress to finish fifth at Galway earlier this month and today produced the three-year-old from rear of mid-division to eventually score by a half-length from Annie’s Angel Following his landmark 95th win, Whearty reported “it is tough to lose your claim in Ireland so I’m delighted to have that gone. It has been a goal of mine for the last few months and I have another goal at the end of the year (apprentice jockeys’ championship) so I’ll take it day by day, although if I don’t get there it isn’t the end of the world. “I have got a lot of support and especially from Gavin (Cromwell) and Conor Maxwell while Gary Carroll (jockey) gives me a lot of help. There are too many to thank but they know who they are.” Regarding Flying Fortress he added “he jumped a little slow the last day so I wanted to give him a kick forward today but didn’t want to be too wide. I decided to slot in behind, followed Dylan (Browne McMonagle, on Annie’s Angel) as he was the one to be shot at, so it worked out well. “It is tacky, holding ground but my lad didn’t mind it at all.” Whearty and trainer Cromwell later completed doubles with Secret Force in the 35-minutes later 1m3f handicap.
