Whelan times it just right to win on Oiche Rua Ronan Whelan produced the Ado McGuinness trained Oiche Rua with a perfectly timed run from off the pace to win the Champion Lettings Handicap at Bellewstown. Sent off 33/1, having failed to beat a single rival at Cork last time, the filly showed much more here at a track where her trainer always deserves respect. Held up towards rear, Whelan scraped pain on the rail for the first half of the contest, before switching his mount to deliver her challenge down the outside early in the straight. Getting to the leaders inside the final furlong, Oiche Rua headed Eric Lock close home to win by half-a-length. Ado McGuinness said: "They did go quick. "She ran too bad to be true the last day in Cork and couldn't find out what it was. I wasn't going to declare her, but I said to Alex (Zevenbergen, owner) we would declare her and see where we go. "She was drawn wide and I just said to Ronan 'they could go hard here and try to pick up the pieces'. That's exactly what he did and she came home really, really well, so I was very happy. "Hopefully, he (handicapper) will give her a chance and I think she will be better on nicer ground." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
