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Gary Bannon, private trainer to owner Bill Durkan, has opened up about how breaking his one golden rule of not backing horses paid rich dividends with a bumper 33-1 payout last week when Time Bender landed a Leopardstown maiden on debut. 

There may be an even bigger payout on the horizon for Bannon and the Glenanaar Syndicate, who bought the horse back off Durkan for just €2,500 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale, with the handler reporting a number of bloodstock agents have been in touch about the Gustav Klimt colt.

He said, “It's been a bit of a different thrill for us. Parkside Lad (Elzaam) won a Bellewstown maiden for us a couple of weeks ago as well. He's owned with a group of friends and we got a great buzz out of that and then this fella went and won at Leopardstown so we've run two two-year-olds this year and they've both won. They're both for sale as well. Normally we concentrate on the National Hunt side of things but we might buy a few more of these Flat horses now! Time Bender is in the shop window.”

Time Bender landed the same 7f auction series maiden that Group 3 scorer Caught U Looking was successful in two years ago. He did it impressively, too, winning by just under two lengths despite ducking under Chris Hayes at the winning line. 

Bannon added, “One or two lads have come to see him but obviously Gustav Klimt doesn't really do it for everyone and we had the sister as well. She never managed to win a race but she was third in a barrier trial and we liked her initially. For some unknown reason, she just went over the top and became hard work. We tried to give her a break and bring her back for a nursery at Dundalk but she just never really took to training and we retired her. 

“Time Bender is the complete opposite. He has a great attitude and is nothing like the sister. In actual fact, someone was talking about the sister the other day and I said, 'sure Elvis was a great singer but his brother was brutal'. We're not too worried if we sell Time Bender or not because we think he's a smart horse who is open to progression.”

Time Bender is the first winner that Durkan's Tamayuz mare Dali's Dream has produced. And while Dali's Dream failed to win in seven starts herself, she hails from a family that bears huge significance to the owner, given she is a granddaughter of Miss Beabea (Catrail), the producer of Durkan's Group 1 heroine Miss Beatrix (Danehill Dancer). 

Bannon said, “It's a good story because Time Bender is out of Dali's Dream, who goes back to Miss Beatrix, the filly that won the Goffs Million and the Moyglare Stakes for Bill almost 20 years ago back in 2006. Dali's Dream is one of the last fillies that the Durkans have from the family and she has a Cotai Glory and a Persian Force coming through, which is really exciting.”

On the direction of the stable, he concluded, “I've been active on behalf of Bill over the past few years and we've had some good and bad luck together. Bill is in his late eighties now and obviously his sons Neil, Danny and Liam are behind me as well. I train the horses and put my heart and soul into the place. I worked for Ado McGuinness for eight or nine years and learned everything there. I was there when Stephen Thorne was there and, when Stephen went off to do the Godolphin Flying Start, I became Ado's head lad. 

“So I got into it through Ado, spent a couple of years with Eddie Lynam as well, and now we're here. This has been a great opportunity. We have cleared out a lot of horses since I joined the team and started buying a lot more at the horses-in-training sales. The blue colours started to get back into the winner's enclosure and Bill seems to have gotten the bug back again, which has been great to see.”

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The post Team Behind 33-1 Leopardstown Winner Relishing New Lease Of Life On The Flat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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