Sport

Murtagh in tight finish

Champion rider, John Murtagh notched up his eight successive win, in the plate at Wexford last evening when he partnered Brushetta…

Sat Jul 26 1997 - 01:00

Champion rider, John Murtagh notched up his eight successive win, in the plate at Wexford last evening when he partnered Brushetta to land a tidy gamble in the Cork Dry Gin Handicap.

Supported from 7/2 down to favouritism at 6/4, the dual champion had to work extremely hard on Paddy Mullins' mare from the turn-in to hold off the challenge of Clashbeg and O'Garney Park in a tight finish.

Murtagh, who heads to the Curragh today trying to beat Christy Roche's recent winning spell of eight wins from as many rides, is now on the 47 mark for the current campaign, eight behind Roche in the riders championship.

The West Coast Cooler Maiden Hurdle was an incident packed affair. Should be Dandy, off the track for nearly two years, was beginning to close on the leaders, under Conor O'Dwyer, when taking a crashing fall at the second last.

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John Berry's charge tragically suffered a heart attack moments later after bringing down Croghan Bridge and Michael Murphy. O'Dwyer, who remained motionless for several minutes, was stretchered back to the weight room but was soon back on his feet, although badly shaken.

The Wexford-born rider along with Michael Murphy, who injured his thumb, will have to be cleared by the Turf Club Doctor before racing again. Victory went to the Amidancing which provided Charlie Swan with his eighteenth winner of the season after the Aidan O'Brien trained 10/1 chance held on by a neck from Kohoutek, on which Garrett Cotter lost his whip after the last.

Cotter (20) gained compensation in the next when he was left in front on Ballynagussaun at the second last, when front-running Jack Yeats fell, before keeping the Dessie Hughes-trained mare up to her task to beat Bishops Hill. As a result Cotter is now a fully fledged jockey after losing his 3 lb claim.

Godolphin filly Shuhrah upset hotly fancied Ashraakat to become the new favourite for the 1,000 Guineas at Ascot yesterday. She was promoted to 16 to 1 favourite for next year's Classic by William Hill after securing a length and a half victory in the Timeform Charity Day Maiden.