Thomas carries on the great Dreaper tradition at Fairyhouse

THOMAS DREAPER, whose family is steeped in the history of Fairyhouse, savoured his first success at the County Meath track yesterday when partnering Desperado Queen to an all-the-way win in the Ratoath Mares Chase.

The winning rider is the grandson of legendary Tom Dreaper, trainer of ten Irish Grand National winners, and son of Jim Dreaper, whose Fairyhouse triumphs have included Brown Lad's two National wins.

Now based with Ferdy Murphy in England, where he has ridden twenty winners this season, Dreaper referred to the winning mare, a daughter of Un Desperado, owned and trained by the Doran family from Ardee, County Louth as “tough as nails” and added: “She was too keen the last day in Down Royal. And the change of tactics certainly paid off. Stamina is her main thing and she jumped well, except for the second last. And that was caused by jockey error!”