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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Galileo gelding Venezia delights O'Grady

Fri 8th Jun 2018, 20:19

Grey horse Venezia lands over the lastGrey horse Venezia lands over the last
© Photo Healy Racing

Venezia stayed on best of all to take the spoils in the two mile beginners' chase at Clonmel at 7/2.

The seven-year-old gelding was fully fifth jumping the penultimate fence but Phillip Enright guided him almost on terms at the last.

He powered home on the run-in to put Imperial Way (6/1) to the sword by half a length. Magna Cartor was a length away in third at 14/1.

Edward O'Grady said: "It is lovely for him to win and for a horse with only three runs over hurdles he jumps well.

"He needed all the assistance and luck he got but won nicely in the end. He needed a couple of great jumps at the last two fences and he got them.

"He loves the ground and that makes a big difference to him. He can probably do everything (chase, hurdle and flat) but when and where I don't know and I'm not in a hurry with him either. He'll have to go handicap chasing as he wouldn't be good enough for a novice chase.

"He is the first Galileo I've been lucky enough to train and he's a lovely horse and I'm lucky to have him."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes

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.