Bal De Rio (centre) joins Blaze A Trail at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Charlie Hart partnered his second winner as 3/1 chance Bal De Rio took a dramatic Ballingarry Claiming Hurdle at Limerick.
The Baltinglass teenager has built up a great association with the Denis Hogan-trained gelding this year and gained his only previous win on the same horse in a Thurles maiden hurdle back in February. Blaze A Trail made a bold bid from the front and was only joined by the winner early in the straight.
The final flight was bypassed due to the earlier fall of You Can’t Catch Me and for a few strides it appeared as though the riders were unsure as to which side to bypass the hurdle.
They safely negotiated the path through on the inner, and Bal De Rio got on top in the closing stages to beat the staying on Fama Et Gloria by a neck with Blaze A Trail just three quarters of a length away in third.
Hart said, ""That's my second winner and both have been on him so he has been a great servant to me. I thought he had a fair chance today.
"We were tight for space going down to the last and we didn't really know which side to go, left or right.
"There was a lot of roaring and shouting going on but at the last minute we wheeled in right and once we passed by the hurdle he found another gear again and took off.
"I'd love to see him stay in the yard but we'll see what happens. I'm with Denis full-time and have been there a year and a half now."
There were friendly claims for the winner at €15,000 and the runner-up. Other horses claimed were the Denise Foster-trained trio Presenting Dylan Ardamir and Insane Bolt along with Think Positive
(TW & AM)
