Front-running tactics pay off for Mullins and Treacy

The Tony Mullins-trained Sammy Black and John Ryan’s Kilcarry Bridge captured the big ‘pots’ on McHale day at Ballinrobe last night.

Sent off 11/4 favourite, Sammy Black, in the colours of Barry Connell, made all to win the €30,000 McHale Mayo National in convincing style while Kilcarry Bridge provided 7lb. claimer Ryan Treacy with the biggest win of his career when adopting similar front-running tactics successfully in the McHale Coranna Handicap Hurdle.

Runner-up to You Must Know Me in Killarney, Sammy Black dictated the pace under Danny Mullins, jumped adequately and, at the business end, stayed on strongly to score by five and a half lengths from Shamiran, with Love Rory third.