Amirite lands his big pot in Midlands National

Last year’s runner-up Amirite went one better this time in the Midlands National after a cracking finish to the feature event at Kilbeggan tonight.

Darragh O’Keeffe bounced out to make all on the 6/1 shot and he jumped from fence to fence.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding did get the second last wrong though and also got under the final fence when pressed by Mica Malpic

It was a good duel on the run-in but Amirite refused to be passed and dug deep to record a head victory in the €100,000 event.

Stable representative Robbie Power said afterwards:-

“I’ve been saying for a long time that there is a big one in this lad but I didn’t think we’d have to wait a year for the same race again. I thought he would have had his day before now.

“I’m delighted for Paddy (Hale), he’s been very patient with him. He ran a blinder in Aintree over the national fences in the Topham.

“Paddy would like to go back for the Grand National if he gets high enough in the weights.

“I’m delighted for the horse but especially delighted for Paddy, he’s had a few ups and downs but he’s run some big races in those big handicaps and deserved to win one.

“He winged fences apart from the second last and the last, the two most important ones. Darragh gave him a brilliant ride. He said going out what he was going to do and that’s exactly what he did.

“He knew the horse well and knew what he wanted to do. He was confident all the time if something came to him he was going to pick up and find and thankfully he did.

“He’s been up there on the pace the whole way and he stuck his head out after getting under the last. He put his head down and galloped all the way to the line.”