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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Foley bags brace as freelance

Sat 16th Sep 2017, 15:33

Gymkhana and Shane Foley beat Sorelle Delle Rose Gymkhana and Shane Foley beat Sorelle Delle Rose
© Photo Healy Racing

Gymkhana gave Shane Foley and Jessica Harrington a quick double on the card at Gowran Park when landing the mile conditions race.

Foley, who lost his job as Michael Halford's stable jockey on Thursday evening, responded in great style as he embarked on his freelance career.

Having partnered The King to an impressive win in the preceding maiden he was back in the winners enclosure again 35 minutes later.

Gymkhana was produced to lead a furlong-and-a-half from home and looked to have matters in control passing the furlong pole. Sorelle Delle Rose rallied inside the final furlong but Foley's mount had a bit up his sleeve and kept on again for a three-parts-of-a-length success.

The winner was making his first start for Harrington having come from Ger Lyons. He had also won first time out for his previous trainer at Naas in March.

“He came to me from Ger's. He left Ger's and had then been gelded and had a wind operation,” said Harrington.

“He came to me and I've just trained him away. I said to Shane there 'I've no idea how fit he is'.

“He won in France over a mile and that's why we said we'd run him over a mile, though he won over six for Ger.

“Shane said he got there way too soon. He got to the front and he thought he'd done his job. He was only idling.

“He loves that soft ground. We might go back for a Listed race on that ground. I'd say he probably has to have soft ground.

“He's not an over-big horse so I'd say we'll probably go for a Listed race rather than a handicap. He was going to run in a handicap at Listowel but I thought it was too heavy for him.”

1st
8/1
Tote €10.70 €4.50
2nd
0.75L
7/4Fav
€1.40
3rd
1.5L
5/1
4th
1.75L
5/2
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.