There’s no place like home: Shrewd Mick Winters sends one runner to his local track

Kanturk based trainer Mick Winters is one of the most underrated operators in the sport. He does incredibly well with the handful of runners he has at his yard.

An enigmatic character, he is a well loved man in the Irish national hunt scene and he has a right good following.

The shrewd Cork native travelled over to Cheltenham with Chatham Street Lad in December. Ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe and sent off a 16-1 shot for the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, he won by 15 lengths.

That horse has since finished 4th in the Marsh Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Make no bones about it, Mick is a classy handler and he has two runners at Cork on Thursday.

He has an incredible 21 per cent strike-rate at Cork racecourse, which is located in Mallow. It is just 20 kilometres away from his yard so it is a course that he likes to target.

3.30 Cork

Wrong Way Harry might open up a pretty big price for this maiden hurdle. The Carlotamix gelding was unplaced on point debut and was pulled up when last seen in February 2020. Owned by Mick himself, it would be no surprise at all to see a late flurry of money for this runner so keep an eye on the betting.

4.05 Cork

This could well be a handicap plot. Arizona Flyer is running from a basement mark of 82 and caught the eye last time out when 4th at Thurles, not knocked about. The step up in trip by another half-mile should suit and one of the most talented claimers in the country has been booked to ride.

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