Say It So registers fifth success Quirky Say It So (9/1) benefitted from a strong ride from 7lb claimer Calum Hogan to win Killarney’s Dr. Ivo O'Sullivan Memorial Handicap Hurdle today, scoring for trainer Eric McNamara and the Hurling Mad Syndicate. Successful in three consecutive races last autumn, slow-starter Say It So was pushed along in the early stages of today’s race and race wide throughout. Hogan produced the six-year-old to lead at the second-last, with the pair holding off runner-up Shaboozee — whose rider JJ Slevin briefly lost his irons in the early stages, by 2.25 lengths. The winner needed to be coaxed into the winner’s enclosure but McNamara explained “that’s not tiredness, it is stubbornness. He is always like that and getting him to walk to the ring beforehand was also difficult. He has been a great servant though and that’s five races he has won for us, having won four last year. “Calum gave him a great ride and I warned him to keep out on the wide outside, which he did, and I think it made a big difference. “He’ll stay hurdling and loves jumping but I’d say he isn’t as good on the Flat as he was, plus the fact he has gone up a lot in the ratings. I think there could be another hurdle race in him.”
