'I've never gone through emotions like it' - Hayes on miraculous recovery

Ecstasy to agony to ecstasy to agony to ecstasy again. Brian Hayes went through all the emotions at Tramore on Sunday as he somehow managed to keep his partnership with Dolly Dancer intact before going on to win the beginners chase in remarkable fashion.

All was going like clockwork for Hayes on the Emmet Mullins-trained Dolly Dancer, who was popular in the market and supported down to 5-2 before the off, until the second-last where she tried to duck out and throw the race away.

She clambered over the fence and Hayes remarkably kept the partnership intact, the pair snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Interestingly, Dolly Dancer only touched a high of 13-1 in-running so exchange players must have had full faith in Hayes.

The drama did not finish there though, as the stewards called an enquiry due to Dolly Dancer interfering badly with Ayr Of Elegance. The placings remained unaltered much to Hayes' relief.

"I've never gone through emotions like it," said Hayes. "I went from the ecstasy of thinking I was going to win the race easily to the agony of thinking we had thrown it away to the ecstasy of getting back up to win to the agony of thinking we might lose it in the stewards room to finally the ecstasy of eventually keeping the race. It was unbelievable really."

The popular rider added: "I thought I was gone. She spotted a small gap at the side of the fence and tried to run out but, at the last minute, she changed her mind. I honestly have no idea how she scrambled over the fence. We were brought to an absolute standstill and we definitely went a few lengths down. She did incredibly well to get back up to win it.

"It was a very important winner for me, they all are. Emmet [Mullins] is an up-and-coming trainer with a big future so it was great to ride a winner for him, even it wasn't straightforward!"

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