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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Wildway makes all under O'Keeffe

Thu 18th Nov 2021, 12:32

West Cork Wildway and Darragh O'Keeffe
West Cork Wildway and Darragh O'Keeffe
© Photo Healy Racing

An early faller on last month’s chasing debut at Killarney, West Cork Wildway (12s into 9/1 before the off) showed no ill-effects whatsoever from that fall when making all in the BetVictor Irish EBF Beginners Steeplechase.

He was pursued throughout by the 4/5 favourite The Bosses Oscar but that one came under pressure after the second-last and could make no impression up the straight as the winner stayed on well to beat the market leader by a length and a half with Stratum (3/1) a further half length back in third.

A winner of his only two starts in point-to-points, this was a fourth win under Rules for Darragh O’Keeffe’s mount.

Winning trainer Paul O’Flynn said: "He was very good. He did today what we hoped he'd do the last day in Killarney when he was just unlucky and made a mistake first time over fences. He learned from it and is a nice horse going forwards.

"They (Fernhill Tower Syndicate) are a great syndicate and have backed me since I started. We always thought he was good and they could have sold him as a young horse so I'm delighted for them.

"I don't know how far he'll go but I'll take him as far as he can."

Quotes from 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.