BALLINGARRY’S Charles Byrnes gave County Cork amateur Abbie Fitzgibbon of Charleville her first jumping success as the six-year-old Flashaway took the two-mile maiden hurdle at Navan on Sunday.
Owned by the rider’s uncle, Nelius O’Keeffe, the 16/1 shot led approaching the final hurdle and stuck to her task well to beat the Ross O’Sullivan-trained 5/4 favourite Switch From Diesel and Danny Gilligan by a length.
The winning rider is a sister of hurling star Darragh and she was riding her second winner having previously taken an amateur riders’ race at Listowel on the Michael Winters-trained Dark Spark in June 2022.
A delighted Fitzgibbon told irishracing.com: “I rode a winner point-to-pointing and a winner on the flat in Listowel a few years ago.”
“It has been a while, but I’ve had a good few placed. Obviously, it’s nice to get this one.
“Super and she toughed it out. If I got a good stride at the last, I was fairly confident (of winning) so I was looking for it.
“He (Charles) just said to be handy away there and to keep things simple.
“I’m with Charles six days a week and I love working there. I’m there two years, going into my third year. I’m riding everything I can get my hands on!”