Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Sceptical’s death hits Hogan hard
STILL reeling from the untimely death of stable star Sceptical yesterday, trainer Denis Hogan will hope to strike with Galway winner Bua Boy in the
Kevin Egan Cars Handicap Hurdle in Sligo today.
Hogan, who announced his retirement from the saddle after Bua Boy’s win last week, worked wonders with Sceptical since his purchase for just £2,800 from Godolphin.
The four-year-old won four of his seven starts for the Boherna yard, scoring three times on Dundalk’s polytrack before making an impressive transition to stakes company in the listed Woodlands Stakes.
He then proved his star quality in Group 1 company, a close third to Hello Youmzain in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot and a second to Oxted in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Unfortunately, Sceptical sustained a fatal injury when exercising yesterday morning, prompting his trainer to say: “We have been dealt a devastating, cruel blow at Boherna this morning with the loss of our superstar sprinter Sceptical.
“He was a horse of a lifetime and a gamechanger for my training career.”
But the show must go on. And Hogan’s Bua Boy, raised 8lb for his defeat of stable-companion
Alabaster at Ballybrit, is 3lb ‘well-in’ today under his mandatory penalty and, with Donagh Meyler in the saddle is expected to follow-up, stepping up to two and a half miles.
Earlier, Enda Bolger’s Thatbeatsbanagher, bidding for a hat-trick, might be afforded an easy lead and could make all in the Madden’s Bar & Restaurant Handicap Hurdle.
He went up 6lb for a narrow win in Tramore last time, but should follow-up with Simon Torrens claiming a valuable 7lb.