Andy Robertson Celebrates First Racecourse Win with Walk On Harry

Andy Robertson has a Premier League medal, a Champions League medal and now, at last, a winner in his own name on the racecourse.

The Tottenham and Scotland defender celebrated his first success as sole owner when Walk On Harry landed the 5f maiden at Cork, triggering a €50,000 Goffs bonus and adding another chapter to his growing involvement in the sport.

Robertson is no tourist in the parade ring. He has long been part of the Mr McCann syndicate alongside former Liverpool teammates Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Adam Lallana. He is also among the owners of Hugo Palmer-trained Wait Geordie, who made a bright start when scoring by one and a half lengths under David Probert on debut at Bath but has drawn a blank in five runs since.

This one was different. Walk On Harry was the first horse to run solely in Robertson’s name and he made it count, building on a previous course-and-distance third to strike at the third attempt for Henry de Bromhead and Ronan Whelan.

The pressure finally told inside the final furlong. Walk On Harry had raced prominently on the far side, tracking favourite Southern Boulevard, before Whelan asked him to go and win it. The response was sharp and decisive, the son of Earthlight stretching clear to score by one and a quarter lengths.

Whelan liked what he felt.

"We learned a lot about him the last day and we thought dropping back to five furlongs we could be good and positive on him, but he's actually a horse that wants to travel," he told Racing TV.

"He's got a lovely pedigree and he's a lovely physical horse to go with it, so hopefully he's only going to keep on progressing. He's got a beautiful mind to go with it, so he could have a bright future."

The pedigree and the planning have already paid off. Bought for €32,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Book 2 sale, Walk On Harry qualified for the sales company’s €50,000 bonus scheme. His Cork success means just one of those bonuses remains up for grabs in Ireland this year.

It was a good day, too, for Graeme Rodway, who had tipped Walk On Harry at 11-2. His selection duly obliged, backing up his view of the colt’s potential and setting the tone for four more recommendations on Saturday’s cards for Racing Post+ subscribers.

For Robertson, used to the roar of full stadiums, this was a different kind of thrill. Same competitive edge, same satisfaction. And with Walk On Harry now off the mark and “only going to keep on progressing,” as Whelan put it, this may be just the start of a serious second career in the winner’s enclosure.