Facile Ocean made every yard of the running to win the 5:18 Well Of Moate Maiden Hurdle, the Kilbeggan opener, by a widening 14 lengths at 2/1 joint favourite — landing our preview verdict in the process.
| Pos | Horse | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Facile Ocean | Eoghan Finegan | 2/1JF |
| 2nd | First Ascent | Jack Kennedy | 2/1JF |
| 3rd | Not In A Hurry | Simon Torrens | 28/1 |
Eleven ran over the two miles on good ground, and the winner’s time of 3m 45.00s underlined how strongly he went through the race for trainer Ciaran Murphy and Eoghan Finegan.
The Race Story
This was as one-sided as a joint-favourites clash gets. Finegan sent Facile Ocean straight to the front and dictated, pushing along and asserting approaching the last. A reminder after the final flight sent him further clear, and he sauntered home with the race long settled.
The other half of the market, Gordon Elliott’s First Ascent under Jack Kennedy, chased him throughout but simply could not land a blow, while 28/1 shot Not In A Hurry plugged on for third. On this evidence the winner, with course form already in the book, should not be long in shedding his maiden tag over further.
Tipster Accountability
A clean hit for the morning desk: our Kilbeggan preview made Facile Ocean “the one to beat” at 15/8, and he won as the verdict suggested he might — emphatically. He was also the opening leg of the four-part Kilbeggan accumulator. None of the tracked tipsters in today’s tipster review tipped at the Westmeath track tonight.
Looking Ahead
Next up is the 5:48 Kieran Kelly Memorial Handicap Hurdle, where acca leg two Syosset heads the market after the withdrawal of Zaryagle. Later, the big Irish stories of the night are Pets Georgina’s hat-trick bid in the 6:48 Joe Cooney Memorial and the €25,000 KEPAK Handicap Chase at 7:48 — with Irish jumping fans already well fed after Rockonliam’s win across the country at Wexford.
