Katie wraps up victorious tour for Irish Katie Walsh took the A?60,000 Dominant Chase at Moonee Valley earlier today (Saturday) on favourite Hoplite to ensure victory for the Irish team with a points tally of 89 ? 74 over their hosts in the Australia vs Ireland Jumping Challenge. In doing so, Katie became the first lady rider to win a chase at Moonee Valley. Trained by Patrick Payne, who provided Katie with her winner at Morphettville the previous Saturday and whose daughter Michelle had a recent ride for Ballydoyle in a fillies Group 3 at Cork, Hoplite beat I Do Blue, ridden by Steve Pateman, by 3 ? lengths with Shane Jackson a neck away third on Wheel The Lead. Alain Cawley finished fifth but Nina Carberry didn't ride because of her bruised shoulder. "He told me to take my time, he stays well and jumped great for me. The gaps opened up for me and I got a great run just before the turn. Anybody would win on him." said an elated Katie afterwards. This was the fifth successive year that the Irish team have won the Australian leg of the series. Three of the team rode winners, Nina being the unfortunate. Katie's record on the tour saw her riding two winners, three seconds and a third. A bit of a change from last year when nobody on the Irish team managed to ride a winner but we got through successfully on points earned by placings. Shane Jackson is off to Casterton, 4 ? hours west of Melbourne, on Sunday to ride in a chase there for Ciaran Meagher, who rode a winner in Ireland when a member the visiting Australian team a few years ago. Both he and Alain Cawley will be back in Dublin mid-day on Wednesday with the two girls following on after a sojourn in Brisbane and Sydney.
