There was double joy for racing connections on Thursday afternoon last at the Cheltenham Festival at Prestbury Park, Gloucestershire, when local jockeys brought their mounts over the line to claim festival winners, with the parishes of Ballynoe and Doneraile, in particular, cheering on Shane Cotter and Darragh O’Keeffe to high-level success.
COTTER SHOWS HIS CLASS
Ballynoe jockey, Shane Cotter, is the pride of the community, having achieved stunning success aboard Ask Brewster.
Just 19 years old and still learning his trade, Cotter is a familiar face on the point-to-point circuit, and the amateur claimed the final race on Thursday, March 12th, the Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase at 5.20pm, coming in at 22-1 ahead of fellow Irish horses, Road To Home and Monbeg Genius, in the 23 runner field. He prevailed by a neck, with Patrick Mullins on Road To Home pushing him all the way to the line.
Full story in this week’s Print & Digital Edition.
