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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Brandy Harbour sails home under O'Regan

Thu 16th Dec 2021, 15:21

Brandy Harbour and Denis O'Regan 
Brandy Harbour and Denis O'Regan
© Photo Healy Racing

The Clinton Higgins Chartered Accountants Handicap Chase resulted in a wide-margin success for 4/1 chance Brandy Harbour

A point-to-point winner for in 2019, the seven-year-old had shown promise at this venue last month when third in a better grade of handicap.

Dropping back in trip and partnered by Denis O’Regan for the first time, he made all the running to easily land his first victory under Rules by 13 lengths from Hollybank King (16/1) with the well-backed 10/3 favourite Fou Diligence a further five lengths away in third.

The winning trainer Grainne O'Connor was represented by her husband Paurick who said: “That's our second track winner this year, and we had a point-to-point winner a few weeks ago, so the horses are in good order.

“It's mostly point-to-pointers we have, we buy three-year-olds and sell them on.

“This horse came out of Neilans and he just had a few issues. Grainne did all the work at home with him and he's got a few runs now so it's great.

“The owners are local lads as well so it's a fabulous day. We've tried him over a few different trips and the race the last day was a bit of a mess.

“We told Denis today to buck him out and go as hard as he could. He won it plenty well but we seldom have winners so we don't be messing around with them.

“Denis minded him and it's great that he rode a winner for me because he's been good to me down through the years and has bought a couple of horses from me.”

Quotes from Gary Carson

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.