So easy for Quadco

Former smart bumper horse Quadco put recent problems behind him to land the featured GPT Handicap at the opening session of the Galway Festival last night.

Heavy rain turned the ground to soft as Quadco delighted local owner John Doyle and Galway-born trainer Pat Fahy by running away with the €65,000 race, coming home 14 lengths clear of Rathbawn Prince.

The 16-1 chance also provided his 23-year-old jockey Peter Fahey with a change of luck after breaking an elbow a couple of months ago on his return from a 18-month stint in America as assistant trainer to Tim Pinfield at Santa Anita.

‘‘The horse was badly jarred-up after running at Wexford on fast ground earlier this month and I took him out of Thursday’s Guinness Hurdle because of that,’’ explained the winning trainer.

‘‘But he was well enough to take his chance on the Flat and I’m delighted for the owner that his patience and perseverance has been rewarded.’’

A son of Be My Native, Quadco had looked an exciting prospect after a wide-margin success in the Champion Bumper at Aintree in April 2000 but has not progressed as expected over jumps.

Equipment EBF Champion jockey Pat Smullen appeared to have stolen a decisive advantage on the market leader off the final bend, but the son of Diesis was caught in the final 50-yards as 13-2 chance Abunawas quickened the better on the outer for Declan McDonough.

Winning trainer Kevin Prendergast, speaking from his home on the Curragh, said: ‘‘This is a nice horse which had been working well, but he is more of a three-year-old in the making and we will probably just give him one more run, maybe in the Futurity Stakes, before we put him away.’’