O'Grady Cracker shows no sign of slowing down The Andrew Slattery-trained O'Grady Cracker (6/4) was an extremely impressive winner of the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Handicap Hurdle, with jockey JJ Slevin doing the steering. He was an extremely impressive winner on his last start in Kilbeggan, and he defied a rise in the weights, travelling very well throughout. A couple of fine leaps at the last few hurdles allowed him to ease to success, with Diamond Tipp eight lengths back in second. Speaking after the race, owner Kay Russell said: “Edward owned the mare and had this horse's family forever-and-a-day. “Every single horse Miss Nomer has bred never let us down and won, and Edward always left the choices of stallions to me. The Stacks (of Coolagown Stud) will be delighted with this, and I think this horse could be the best of the mare's runners. “I'd hate to say Edward was ever ‘second string’ - he wouldn't have been happy with that, but I also ran Earl Neigh in today's race, so he had my own racing silks. O'Grady Cracker won in Edward's silks the last day, so he will now continue to run in those colours for luck. “Without the Slatterys, we would be nowhere, and they have been nothing but the kindest people in the world. I will keep the whole thing going, and the mare has more foals to come too.” (Quotes from Tom Weekes)
