LUKE McAteer won the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh on Friday evening.
On Jim Bolger’s Beyond Happy, McAteer landed an impressive win.
The Rathmullan man steered the 4/1 shot to a comfortable victory in the twin-feature over a mile and a half.
Orr and Beyond Happy stayed on well to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths,
Bolger’s daughter Una Manning said: “It’s a prestigious race for apprentices, and nice to win a race like that on Derby weekend as well.
“The boss gave Luke his instructions before he went racing, and told him that he thought he would win.
“He’s a lightly-raced, nice type – and there should be more in him. He appreciated the step up in trip as well.”
Oisin Orr had a big winner for Tom Gibney at the Curragh. Aboard the 25/1 shot Magic Chegaga, Orr won the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap.
Orr previously won on Magic Chegaga for Dermot Weld in October and Gibney was glad to recruit the Donegal man.
He said: “It was great getting Oisin as he’d won on her; he hadn’t ridden for me before but I said to him that you probably know this filly better than I do.”
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