Strong Contender Stays on Strongly for Smithers The Norman Lee-trained Strong Contender (11/1) was a wide-margin winner of Wexford's SIS Handicap Hurdle for jockey Conor Smithers. The daughter of Jukebox Jury came from off the pace to lead before two out and scored by nine and a half lengths from Tango Theatre. “It’s great to get that. We had a run of a lot of bad horses over the last year-and-a-half and it’s been tough going,” said Lee. “She’s a grand little filly and she’ll progress away. Hopefully there is another day in her. “She belongs to a great owner and he’s been with me since the start, others have come and went. Any day you get a winner for Michael Hogan is a great day. “It’s a testament to the lads at home and their great work. We have a small team and we’re trying to climb up again, we had an awful bad run of things. “It’s nice to get back. We have a few nice horses at home and hopefully we’ll get a few again. When we have them we’re able to do them, but you need the ammunition. Small yards are struggling. “Conor gave her a super ride. He rode her from the back, we rode her a bit too prominently in Ballinrobe and made a mistake. He gave her a great ride today.” (Quotes from Gary Carson)
