'I can't believe it' - Micky Fenton enjoys biggest win of training career as Physique lands Ahonoora

Classic-winning rider Micky Fenton enjoyed the finest day of his relatively short training career, when 9-1 shot Physique made all under Seamie Heffernan to land the Ahonoora Handicap.

It was a canny, front-running ride from Heffernan, who kept a bit up his sleeve as challenges developed. His mount was game inside the final furlong as he held off outsider Hurricane Ivor by half a length, with last year's winner Dunum back in third.

Winner of the 1,000 Guineas on Speciosa in 2006, Fenton trains a small string near Mallow on the Cork-Kerry border, and this was just his third career winner as a trainer.

Fenton sent out his first runner in October 2022 and had not saddled a winner since Run Forrest Run, who also provided him with his first career victory, scored at Cork last September. After Physique had supplied him with his first winner of the season with his 43rd runner, Fenton said: "It's very rewarding. 

"My wide and I do most of the work. It's rewarding when you go racing and they run well, it's not so rewarding when they don't run well and you have to cope with that. When you're a jockey you can just move on to the next horse. When you train them you have to go home with them. It's great to win a race like this."

The €64,900 first prize in the feature 7f handicap was a healthy return on the 28,000gns Fenton paid to buy the son of Kingman from Jim and Fitri Hay last October.

"He's a horse who likes to get on with things and there is only one way to ride him," said Fenton. "He can get quite wound up if you try to hold him back. Seamie knows him and knew what to do after riding him the last couple of times. I can't believe it really, it seems like a long road since buying him at Newmarket last year."

The four-year-old's first win since landing a Newmarket novice for Paul and Oliver Cole in October 2022 was a poignant one. Fenton said: "He's owned by Patsy Sheehan from Killarney, he took over the horse from his brother John. 

"I bought a couple of horses for John, he rang me one day saying that he was coming home to retire and that he would like to have a couple of horses with me. But he unfortunately passed away so Patsy took over them. John said that he would be with us in the winner's enclosure if we ever had a winner. He's looking down on us now."

Kennedy back on top

Champion jockey Jack Kennedy was crowned the festival's leading jumps rider after the victory of Hurricane Georgie gave both him and trainer Gordon Elliott their respective fourth winners of the week in the 2m6½f chase.

"I never usually have a good Galway so it's great to get that," said Kennedy, who also won the preceding 3m½f handicap hurdle on Mark Fahey's Flicker Of Hope. "It's a great week when you're getting a bit of luck but it's a long week when you're not."

Saint success

Saint Roi defied top weight to land the 2m2f handicap chase under Aidan Kelly. Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: "He jumped out of his skin and really stuck out his neck and battled. He looks like he can go any trip. He has plenty of speed and I think he stays; when things go right he is as good as anything."

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