A vintage return for Fahey (From Gazette & Herald)

A vintage return for Fahey

Back in business. That's the message from Musley Bank, Malton, where Richard Fahey, after spending a month with closed signs on his gate, has returned to form with a vengeance.

Fittingly, it was his most popular old soldier Vintage Premium who put his name on the scoreboard with a typically brave win at York last week to provide Fahey with his first success since he resumed full-time operations.

But, little more than 24 hours later, the Ryedale trainer doubled his score when Bo McGinty gained a slender success at Hamilton.

This brace of winners was greeted with relief and delighted by Fahey, following a frustating period of inactivity.

An outbreak of the highly-contagious herpes virus among a handful of his horses caused the powerful yard to be shut down by the Jockey Club, leaving Fahey without any runners for four weeks.

"We spotted it early and contained it, so we got away relatively lightly," he said. "It was still a very frustrating time, having a lot of nice horses you couldn't race. But that's all behind us now.

"We got the all-clear a couple of weeks ago and we can crack on again now. It's great to get back among the winners so quickly."

Vintage Premium, a wonderful flag-bearer for Fahey in recent years, did his bit to put his trainer back in the spotlight with a gutsy York success, winning by a neck under a spirited ride from Paul Hanagan, horse-and-jockey having clinched an almost identical triumph over the same course-and-distance two seasons ago in the valuable John Smith's Cup.

"What a star he is," enthused Fahey. "I did think once or twice about retiring him because I was worried that he'd fallen out of love with the game. But he's been working better than ever recently and it's great to see him back in the winners' circle."

Vintage Premium underlined his well-being by turning out again at Hamilton the following evening and failing by only a neck to get the better of Collier Hill in the feature race on the card.

Compensation for that narrow defeat came in the guise of stablemate Bo McGinty, who, on the same course, came out on top in a photo-finish under stable apprentice Tony Hamilton.

One of the Gazette & Herald's 'Ten to Follow' this season, Bo McGinty, a Carlisle winner last season as a juvenile, is jointly owned by Ryedale enthusiasts, Bo Turnbull and Paddy McGinty.

"He's a horse I've always liked, but he's still green and inexperienced," said Fahey. "He'll improve again and the race I have in mind for him is the William Hill Sprint Trophy at York next month."

Updated: 12:44 Wednesday, May 19, 2004