Dunmanway's Gavin Sheehan was the toast of Cheltenham today.
BY KIERAN McCARTHY
DUNMANWAY’S Gavin Sheehan was the toast of Cheltenham today.
The West Cork jockey enjoyed his first Cheltenham win in the Grade 1 World Hurdle, as he led from start to finish on Cole Harden (odds of 14-1) to beat the favourite, Saphir Du Rheu.
This win was a maiden Cheltenham success for trainer Warren Greatrex and Sheehan, who won a West Cork Sports Star of the Month award in 2014.
A thrilled Sheehan said afterwards: ‘It's pretty special – very, very special. Warren got me psyched up before the race.
‘With fractions, you can't get them right all the time but you can only feel what your horse is giving and he gave me an exceptional ride. His jumping was brilliant.
'He was very quick and did everything right. I was very nervous coming down the hill, I was holding on to him and wondering if I should send him on.
‘Then I turned into the straight and he kept picking up and I was like 'where is everybody' but when I saw the line, it meant everything.’
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