Paddy bids for Drinmore glory Shadow Paddy has literally made hay while the sun shone, recording three wins over fences. The €8,000 store purchase was a listed-winning hurdler and won his first two starts over fences in ready fashion. Owned by the Complete Package Syndicate, the six-year-old gelding captured a Grade 3 victory at the Galway Festival while conceding weight to the rest of his rivals. He looked beaten after jumping the last, but he rallied and stayed on strongly to win, making it seem like a step up in trip would suit him. On his latest start, the son of Shadow Gate had to give away weight once again under a penalty, yet he ran with great credit to finish fourth in a Grade 3 at Gowran. He achieved an official rating of 142, and with further improvement, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest he could be competitive in the Drinmore, alongside some big handicaps later in the season. Eoin McCarthy on Shadow Paddy, "In hindsight his Gowran run was good, as he missed the first fence, then lost his confidence and was giving 7lb to the others but was only beaten 3.5 lengths. "The stats say he is always either the best or second-best jumper in a race, but at Gowran he lost 8.5 lengths. You'd say that if he didn't plough through the second-last, he'd have finished closer. "We're going to the Drinmore now, where I think we are a big contender racing from level-weights. Gowran just didn't happen for him, but he is in great form and we're just hoping that the ground stays good at Fairyhouse, which I think it will at this stage. "On the day, I was disappointed at Gowran, but when you break it down, he can improve from it and I'm looking forward to the Drinmore." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes.
