Redemption but Kanog Bay delivers ‘a day late’ Kanog Bay (8/1) was ‘a day late’ in breaking his maiden status today, landing Fairyhouse’s William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle (Div I) for trainer Ian Donoghue, co-owners Gerard Browne and Matthew Rogers, and jockey Conor Stone-Walsh. Heavily backed into 6/4 favourite on handicap debut at Limerick during Christmas, the five-year-old managed just fourth place then but today, with lower expectations, defeated a pair of strongly-supported rivals Chanceawetmorning (15/8f) and Shanroe Nelson (5/1) into second and third places. Donoghue, a HRI Achievement Award-nominee for 2025, revealed “I’m very happy as we really fancied him at Limerick the last day and, thank God, I redeemed myself today. It was probably the trainer’s fault going to Limerick with him for his first run in a handicap. “They went very slow that day, it turned into a sprint and my instructions were probably a bit wrong. Conor (Stone-Walsh) wasn’t afraid to make use of him today and he’s a nice big horse who, hopefully in time, will make into a three-mile chaser. “He’s still a big raw horse and we won’t be too busy this season. We’ll give him another summer’s grass and see what he does.” Quotes from Gary Carson
