18+ | Commercial Content | T&Cs apply | Wagering and T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly | Advertising Disclosure
icon
Tom Weekes

Tom Weekes

Christie completes Ballinrobe double

Mon 22nd Aug 2022, 18:46

Menindee and Jordan GainfordMenindee and Jordan Gainford
© Photo Healy Racing

Fermanagh based David Christie completed a Ballinrobe double today as his Menindee (4/1) showed good battling qualities to win the Burke Family Clonbur Memorial Handicap Hurdle (div I) for jockey Jordan Gainford.

The daughter of Yeats made the running but was headed and briefly dropped to fourth jumping the second last, before rallying to eventually regain the lead in the closing stages and beat fast-finishing Gondor Sittingonthefence had taken the lead at the second last but faded to finish third on the run-in.

Afterwards Christie revealed "I targeted this meeting because of the two 2m6f races for Menindee and (earlier winner) Paidi's Passion as they're two staying mares. They both looked as if they might be beaten and then they stayed on again.

"I was delighted when I saw that the races were going to be on the outer loop, which was going to make it more of a staying track and they're two point-to-point mares who want three miles. They both had good runs last time out.”

Regarding Menindee, he added: "Jordan said he missed the second last and if he got that right he'd have been fine, but he said that being headed was actually of benefit as she'd something to aim at. She jumped the last well and really battled."

Quotes from Mark Nunan

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.