Timemakesitfine (Joey Sheridan) wins easily© Photo Healy Racing
James McAuley has enjoyed great success with Denis Hogan in recent times, notably with star sprinter Sceptical, and he saddled a winner in his own name when Timemakesitfine recorded a shock 20/1 success in division one of the Baroneracing.com Handicap at Fairyhouse.
McAuley, whose Hilltop Stables near Naul are only about a 20 minutes drive from Fairyhouse, has some runners currently in his own name as he explained due to circumstances around COVID-19.
McAuley said, “We were doing the pre-training for Denis and once COVID happened Denis had 12 ready to go and five ended up in our place nearly ready to go. It was more through necessity than want that they are with me.
“She’s been disappointing. She did get her wind done after we bought her but we were happy when we claimed her and her form was very good for Jessica Harrington.
“For whatever reason she just wasn’t performing and we couldn’t really find her trip or anything. Even out there it did look like she was ready to drop the bridle.
“She obviously is better on grass but she surprised me. She was working well but there was no wild expectations for her.”
However, there was no mistaking the style of victory despite the four-year-old being friendless in the market and she stretched right away under Joey Sheridan in the closing stages to beat the front-running Cobb And Co by all of seven lengths.
Clonard Abbey was a head further away in third.
