Marsh Wren and connections (courtesy of David Pratt Photography/The Jockey Club)
Marsh Wren wins Listed novice chase at Thurles for Edmunds and Gethings
By Sporting Life
19:35 · THU February 22, 2024
Marsh Wren (9/4) made a successful trip to Ireland when landing the Carey Glass Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase at Thurles on Thursday.
The eight-year-old, trained by Stewart Edmunds in Buckinghamshire, rewarded connections' daring with a fine display of fencing and a game attitude in the Listed contest over two miles and six furlongs.
Always in the vanguard under Ciaran Gethings, Marsh Wren had to repel a couple of challengers in the straight but was more than a match for her rivals, coming home three parts of a length clear of Law Ella with favourite Harmonya Maker another four and a half lengths back in third.
Victory provided Marsh Wren with her eighth success from just 12 career starts while taking her chase record to three wins from four starts with her sole defeat coming when second to Arclight - declared in the Grade 2 Pendil at Kempton on Saturday - at Wincanton on Saturday.
The success was also the first in his native country for Gethings who was delighted to cross an item 'off the bucket list'.
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"I was very, very pro to come over," Gethings told Fran Berry on Racing TV.
"First of all coming over to Ireland to ride and I thought she actually had a good chance; two six on tough ground is right up her street so fair play to everybody for putting their hands in their pockets and coming over," he continued.
"The fences in Ireland are a little bit stiffer and she jumped it class early. She rubbed the one at the top of the hill first time and she knew you can't get through them, she got down to the last and got up and over so she's a clever mare. I knew I didn't want to hack and a sprint so I tried to turn it into as much of a test as I could but she was always having a look in front and we were trapping down to the last and I was just praying we'd meet it on a stride and she did and there won't be too many outbattle her.
"She never wins pretty, she always keeps a bit up her sleeve and she always likes a good battle and she puts her head down. She'll never win impressively but if one comes to her, it will take a tough one to get by her. It's great and a good buzz to be honest.
"She's got an entry at Cheltenham, it's only a chance entry to be honest. She's got winning black type now and I think whatever she does now doesn't really matter, the owner wants to breed from her."
And on riding his first winner in Ireland, he added: "It's brilliant.
"I moved over when I was 16 so I haven't had many chances so that's one ticked off the bucket list anyway."
Edmunds added: “She’s a credit to everybody and to herself, she never knows when she’s beaten. She did it very well. She’s very, very tough. She is a credit to everybody at home, as they do a great job and she always rewards them.
“It was a brave choice, as it costs a few quid to go, but she had placed black type over here and we wanted to try to win one. It’s very valuable for a mare, it makes a big difference for them.”
Marsh Wren holds an entry for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but would require the going to be soft if that race is to be considered.
“It would need to be soft, it seems silly to say that with the rain at the minute!” Edmunds said.
“We put her in because it wasn’t too expensive but we’ll have to see what the weather does closer to the time.”
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