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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

No lingering from Burke on father's mare

Sun 18th Aug 2019, 17:58

Indian Music and Jonathan Burke.  Indian Music and Jonathan Burke.
© Photo Healy Racing

After his mixed double (hurdles and flat) at the Galway Festival, Linger (8/15 fav) looked well-in over fences in the Heinz Pollmeier Memorial Handicap Chase, and would have been the banker of the day for many punters.

However, you have to jump, and unfortunately he didn’t enjoy himself at all over the larger obstacles, making several errors and looking held in second when coming down at the last.

Johnny Burke was making the best of his way home at that stage on his father Liam’s mare Indian Music (14/1) and she ran on to gain a first career victory by six and a half lengths from Captain Cobajay (33/1), with Fairymount Boy (10/1) another length and a half back in third.

The winning trainer was on lead-up duties, so Johnny Burke was left to comment: "That was perseverance as fair play to the owners as they could have sold her after she was placed in maidens.

"They persevered and kept going with her, she has been frustrating but has finally won and I'm delighted for her owners Frank Hayes and Ted Dwyer who have had horses with Dad for years and since he started.

"She is a very strong traveller who doesn't find much off the bridle but is a great jumper. Hopefully she might pick up another race in that grade and jumping is her biggest asset.

"Dad has six or eight horses for the summer and they're going well. He works very hard along with a couple of lads in the yard Thomas Byrnes, Arthur Goulding and Tom Feeney. He'll have close to 30 horses for the winter."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

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.