Back in the groove - Eric McNamara© Photo Healy Racing
Coming into today Eric McNamara may have been on the cold list with a 333 day gap back to the stable's previous winner, but that wait can be forgotten now as the Limerick outfit registered a 71/1 brace at Clonmel courtesy of Tristram Shandy and the Rob Jones partnered Hevelius in the Funky Friday BBQ Evening Handicap Hurdle.
Hevelius, a course and distance winner, owned by Paddy Wilmott, travelled well from the rear of mid-division to lead two out. He soon asserted under pressure and kept going well enough to beat the sweet-travelling Motaraqeb by two and a quarter lengths. Cnoc Seoda was third whilst the eye-catching Frankie Flowers was fourth.
McNamara explained in the aftermath: "We decided after his last run that he was in front too soon.
"Rob gave him a lovely patient ride there. We put the cheek-pieces back on him and they certainly didn't do him any harm."
A gamble on the Henry de Bromhead-trained and Davy Russell-ridden Indigo Blue (7s into 4s on track) went astray here as that fellow faded out of it from before the straight.
Report to Stewards - Mazagee - COUGHING POST RACE.
(DM & EM)
