IRISH BAG THE FFOS LAS FIZZ
IRELAND won their first Welsh Champion Hurdle for 43 years as Effernock Fizz landed the richest race in Ffos Las’s calendar.
Not since the great Monksfield landed the prize back in 1979 as the race been won by an Irishtrained horse.
But Effernock Fizz, trained in County Meath by Cian Collins, put that right with an all-the-way success in the Dragonbet-sponsored contest.
It was a gutsy performance by the seven-year-old mare, who was sent off a 9-2 chance in a race which is worth £50,000.
She was partnered by jockey Sam Ewing, who was completing a memorable weekend having landed a big prize at Chepstow the previous afternoon.
“It’s brilliant to get it,” Ewing told Sky Sports Racing.
“She loves her racing, it was a great run last week and it’s good to go one better today.”
Remarkably, it was Effernock Fizz’s 70th race. In spite of so many miles on the clock, she posted a career best a week earlier at Tipperary and confirmed her improvement with this run.
“She picked up well from the third-last to the second-last and really stayed on well to the line and tried hard,” added Ewing.
“I’m very thankful to everyone who let me ride her. If they’re all like this, I’d love to come back.”
Milkwood had looked a big danger approaching the final hurdle, but Effernock Fizz kept finding
more on the run-in.
Last year’s winner Glory and Fortune finished fourth.*