Colliers Quay wins opener at Ballinrobe Colliers Quay (7/1 — 11/2) was the last-gasp winner of Ballinrobe’s opening Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle today, scoring for jockey Thomas O’Connor, trainer Eoin McCarthy and the Rogue Boys Syndicate. A €7,000-purchase last April following some fair point-to-point runs, the five-year-old today raced behind the leaders and with leader, and eventual runner-up, Minella Post edging left in the closing stages, nipped up on the inside to lead in the final strides. It was an eighth winner for O’Connor, who is based with trainer Mark Fahey, and afterwards trainer McCarthy stated “he had a lovely run in Galway where for a horse that had a lot of racing done, he was quite green. He sharpened up for that and travelled better today. For a big horse, he did well to squeeze through that narrow gap. This trip would be his minimum so I thought he'd finish third, and we'd have him for a maiden hurdle in Listowel (September)! But it wasn't the strongest of maidens. “The owners are still mad keen to go to Listowel, so he'll be there all right, but I'm not sure what direction he'll take there now." Jockey O'Connor added "he's lazy and I was a bit on the back foot, but he's always holding on to a bit. I was just niggling along and didn't want to get him out of his comfort zone. He'll be a nicer horse when he steps up to two and half miles, or 2m6f.” Quotes from Mark Nunan
