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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Fictitious Lady gets her winning bracket

Tue 24th Aug 2021, 17:26

Fictitious Lady, blue cap, arrives on the sceneFictitious Lady, blue cap, arrives on the scene
© Photo Healy Racing

Fictitious Lady blew the start in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at Bellewstown but surged home to take the spoils.

She was last away and pushed along by Billy Lee to soon tack on to the field. By the end of the back straight, she raced in rear of mid-division.

The 13/8 favourite was ridden to make good headway on the outer in the final furlong and stormed home to nail a duelling Prince Hector (11/1) and That's Just Dandy (16/1) by a head and a neck respectively.

“It was a great ride and it was very unlucky for the other horse to be chinned,” said Willie McCreery.

“Someone said to me 'did you get up?' and I said 'I definitely got up anyway but I don't know what one won!'

“It's well deserved, she was bred by John Fagan and his son Peter in Deerpark Stud. We've been trying to get a win with this filly for a long time and finally got one, thank God.

“We'll try and find a bit of black-type for the rest of the year. She would have got a lot of confidence there because she's been chinned twice herself.

“Billy said she loved it in behind, and she dictated (in previous races) because we wanted to make it but she just sat in the stalls a bit.

“I'm delighted as it's the first time John has been racing and he was seventy last week so it's a great present for him.”

Fictitious Lady has been runner-up five times in her career to date.

The Stewards enquired into an incident in the final furlong involving Fictitious Lady, ridden by W.J. Lee, and Got The Moves ridden by S. Foley, where it appeared Got The Moves ran short of room. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. S. Foley stated that he was on a free-going filly, he thought he'd pick up but started to thread water and there was a funnel effect at the line where he had to check. W.J. Lee stated that he had hoped to be more forward, not further back but crept away, close home he had the momentum and headed the others at which point his filly rolled left. He had thought there was sufficient room on his inner but there wasn't. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards suspended W.J. Lee for three race days.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.