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Choice collects despite mistake at last

Maeve's Choice and Adam Short (right) get the last wrongMaeve's Choice and Adam Short (right) get the last wrong
© Photo Healy Racing

Maeve's Choice prevailed close home in a driving finish to the BetVictor Handicap Hurdle at Ballinrobe.

Matthew Smith 's charge had been produced by Adam Short to dispute jumping the last in the two-mile-six contest but a mistake there put him on the back foot. Dorans River proved tough on the run-in but Maeve's Choice found plenty to get on top near the line and prevail by a neck.

The 6/1 winner had stayed on to finish fourth over two-and-a-half miles on his most recent outing at Navan last month.

"I'm delighted for Michael (Hannon, owner) as he's a gentleman - a lovely man to train for," said Smith.

"We were a little bit worried about the ground as he won on bottomless ground last year and we thought he wanted it. He's shown there that he doesn't have to have it that way.

"After his mistake at the last he did well to stick at it."

(Quotes by Eamonn Murphy)

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.