Sunny South West shines in the Clonmel bumper Sunny South West showed the benefit of a run at Thurles earlier this month when justifying strong support in the Next Race Meeting April 17th (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at Clonmel. The Eddie Power-trained gelding finished well to take fifth on his debut under Rules in that Thurles bumper and was backed down from as big as 33/1 this morning going off a 15/2 chance. There was drama at the bend going away from the stands with just under a circuit to go when Saint Peregrine veered sharply left and took both Ace Brannigan and Cosmos D’ainay out of the race. Sunny South East was left in front after this incident and was still travelling well early in the straight. Adam Ryan’s mount kept on strongly under pressure inside the final furlong to beat evens favourite Doctor Steinberg by two and three-quarter lengths. The pair stretched right away with a 17 lengths gap to Courtmac Gesture taking third spot. Power said, “"I had a hunters chase winner with a hunters chase license last year so that's my second winner and my first since getting my restricted trainer’s license. "He is a very nice horse, I thought he was an absolute certainty in his four-year-old point-to-point but everything that could go wrong, went wrong. A loose horse galloped into him in the parade ring and drove him mad and in the race, he basically fell and was pulled up. "He was always highly strung and at Thurles the last day Adam dropped him in, but the horse went to sleep before flying home. We rode him with different tactics today and it paid off. "I got him for only €8,000 at the sales and he was a beautiful mover and had a great pedigree. I thought a blind man would have been after him, so I was surprised to get him. "Sean (Dalton, from Tipperary town) is looking for a good one for a long time and I'd say he'll keep him. We might go for a winners' bumper and will go summer novice hurdling as he likes good ground." He added, "I had a slow year with a virus getting into the yard but they seem to be turning a corner now and we've moved to a new yard near Athy, where Paul Deegan used to train. "We have a few for the track for the summer and I'd like to keep the numbers reasonably small and do things right." Quotes by Tom Weekes
