Skontonovski got off the mark for the team and for owners Mark Devlin & friends from his local pub by winning Division 2 of the Mallow Handicap under Ronan Whelan at Cork yesterday.
A recent Shamrock Thoroughbreds £6,500 purchase from the Tattersalls July Sale from the Richard Spencer yard, the 4yo Harbour Watch gelding was held up early on but took closer order 2 furlongs out when Ronan pushed him out entering the final furlong to lead close home and win by a head from the Denis Hogan trained Florence Thompson.
Speaking afterwards, Ado said “We bought him at the Tattersalls July Sale, he was a cheap horse whose form petered out. We ran him last time in Roscommon and he didn’t seem to get home. I told Ronnie to hold on to him for as long as he could, I put a visor on and it made a big difference and Ronnie was world class.
He is a fun horse and hopefully he will go in again. He is owned by Mark Devlin and some of his friends who is a good patron of mine and has War Hero and Is That Love with me. He always buys a cheap horse for fun and he could rock up in Laytown next.”
