Image © Healy Racing
My Best Valentine brought up a hat-trick for the season when made much of the running to land the Tetretema Cup at Gowran on Saturday.
My Best Valentine brought up a hat-trick for the season when made much of the running to land the Tetretema Cup at Gowran on Saturday.
Sent off as a 12/1 shot having run consecutive five-runner races at Aghabullogue and Ballyvodock, her regular pilot sent her to the front at the second fence to allow her take up her now customary front-running role.
As many of the leading fancies began to struggle in the conditions approaching the home straight, it was the 100/1 outsider Step Up Son who loomed alongside after the penultimate fence.
However, the Malinas mare was not going to lie down without a fight and a good jump at the last fence saw her open up once again to triumph by six and a half lengths for a memorable first track success for trainer Danny O’Brien, with his first runner under rules.
“That was my first runner on the track. We have had her in point-to-points, that was brilliant, we couldn’t have asked for better,” O’Brien said.
“She jumps and she gallops, she needs soft ground, that is what she loves. She travels with ease in the soft ground.
“She usually makes the running and gets away with it, but I was worried about what might come from behind but she stuck it out again.
“I am a haulier but every winter I would spend a bit of time with the horses, it’s kind of a winter thing with us. The last few years we have had a few of our own, getting back into it and enjoying it.
“We have another gelding at home that has run in a couple of point-to-points, and he will run tomorrow in Lismore just over the road.
“The plan depends on the sky; it is as simple as that. We didn’t look beyond today to be honest. It all depends on the weather, but we might look at another one in April.”
The victory was a second under rules for Stefan Tobin who has struck up a great partnership with the seven-year-old.
“Her jumping is her thing; she is a small little mare but she is on springs. For the size of her she is just made of heart, she just loves the game, she loves racing, she takes me on down to a fence.
“All credit goes to Dan though; I get the easy job though going around.
“She surprised the first day, she won her maiden by 35 lengths or something, ever since then she hasn’t looked back, she just jumps and travels from the front. I never want to disappoint her, because when she gets a good jump, I just fill her up and she spots the next one and away she goes.
“I’d say if she was to go around again, she would jump them all as well again.
“Dan has put a lot of faith in me, he is after giving me six winners now.”
