John Murtagh was determined to look on the bright side at Fairyhouse yesterday after a stirring 114 to 1 four-timer appeared to have lost some of its gloss as a result of a two-day ban.
"A great day. You have to look at the positives," declared the former champion who joins Pat Smullen on the 76-winner mark for the season, with Mick Kinane on 73, in a thrilling race for the jockeys title.
However, a "careless" riding suspension could yet prove very costly to Murtagh as he is set to miss out on all-Flat card at Thurles on November 7th and the final day of the season itself at Leopardstown on November 11th.
Murtagh picked up the suspension in his first ride of the day on Evora, who was judged to have interfered with the unplaced pair, Avoir Du Cran and Nomination Blues, a furlong and a half out in the auction race.
That only seemed to spur Murtagh on. Cadence ran out an easy winner of the Ratoath Maiden, the 4 to 7 Ahsanabad wound up an even easier winner of the juvenile maiden and then the grand stayer, Catch Ball, ground out a half-length success from Pollardsfield in the Lee Handicap.
