No trouble for lucky Loughran

THE old adage has it that truth is stranger than fiction! Roger Loughran, whose career looked to be in tatters at Leopardstown last Christmas, came in for a chance ride on Far From Trouble at Ballybrit yesterday and proceeded to land the Galway Plate for owner JP McManus and trainer Christy Roche.

Tony McCoy had gone through the pain barrier to make Far From Trouble’s weight of 10-4, but took a crashing fall off Sporting Limerick in the earlier handicap hurdle and was removed to hospital with a fractured wrist. He gets married on September 12 and now faces several weeks on the sidlines.

Loughran takes up the story: “I was coming in after the second and Mr Roche asked me would I do 10-4? I said I would.”