Minella Awards leads over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Harry Fry and Noel Fehily combined for a quick double at Punchestown this evening when Minella Awards landed the Shamrock Enterprises Handicap Hurdle.
Fehily's mount moved stylishly into contention turning for home in the three-mile contest and hit the front going to the final flight.
The 7/1 winner was always doing enough in the closing stages to hold fellow raider No Comment trained by Philip Hobbs, by a length.
“What a 40 minutes! Noel excelled on both of them,” said Fry.
“This horse came to us this season, and we felt that he’d come into his own in the spring. Michael (Masterson) is brilliant to train for and so patient, and we have landed two great races now at Sandown and here.
“I don’t know how Noel didn’t get brought down at the first but he’s kept him out of trouble and arrived at the right time.
“There are very few better if any than him in the weighroom, and with the right ammunition he’s proven it. He’s a great judge of pace, it doesn’t matter where he is coming from and he’s worked his magic getting through a big field there today. He knew exactly when to bounce and kept a bit up his sleeve.
“He’s been a huge part of what we have achieved to-date, and we wouldn’t have achieved any of it without his input.
“After he won at Sandown we were keen to bring him here, and avoided Cheltenham and Aintree. I’m just delighted that it has come off. I’d imagine that he will jump a fence next season.”
There was drama at the first with Bob Mahler falling and bringing down Rathpatrick and Oscar Sam Kate Appleby Shoes was pulled up before the fourth flight.
(Quote by Alan Magee)
