Half Blind and Nearly Legless Debutant Wins

Odd-Spot: From an illustrious debut win (see above) to one lacking the same sense of anticipation, the Irish-bred 3YO known as one-eyed Jack Daniel (Equiano-Mirdhak, by Dansili) has surprised everyone with a 25-1 triumph at his racecourse debut. After breaking a foot and losing an eye due to infection, Jack Daniel was broken in by trainer Declan Carroll and worked hard to end up landing a 7-furlong maiden by a length-and-a-quarter. Making the debut victory even more sweet was that the trainer picked up a double worth nearly 100/1 when Machree (Lord Shanakill) also won on the same card at Redcar in England. A delighted Carroll told racingpost.com, "He [Jack Daniel] lost his eye as a 2YO before he was even broken in. He's a big horse who has always shown ability. He's a work in progress, but it's good he's done the business.” Carroll enthused, “I'd imagine he'll come on from this. We like him a lot. He's got a good temperament and was still quite green, so we think there's a bit of improvement to come." And the name? Carroll divulged, "The owner [has] had some rotten bad luck. The horse is named after his son [Jack Daniel Fantom], but he does like a drink as well!"