ONLY three went to post for the featured conditions hurdle but an interesting race served up a dramatic finale from which a fortuitous-looking Percy Warner emerged victorious to make it two wins from as many starts on the track.

For much of this two-mile affair the Gordon Elliott-trained winner looked as though he was set for a minor role as the trail-blazing 4/9 favourite Sizing Pottsie dominated up front.

The high-class chaser was still well clear of the winner and Low Sun turning for home but after two out Sizing Pottsie’s efforts began to tell and he looked a weary horse nearing the last.

He was still close to 10 lengths clear at this point but he crashed out to leave Low Sun in a fractional advantage over Percy Warner. To his credit though Jack Kennedy’s mount gamely dug out victory on the run-in to prevail by half a length. Interestingly the time for this race was just under 17 seconds quicker than the preceding maiden hurdle over the same trip.

“We were probably lucky and I was watching my horse as opposed to the leader coming to the last but Jack said the one in front was tying up quickly,” said Elliott who trains the son of Ocovango for Basil Holian. “I’d say a bigger field would have helped our horse as it was just his second run and he was caught in no man’s land a bit but he is a nice horse. We might up him in grade for a listed novice hurdle at Punchestown next month.”

Brigade wins

The consistent Light Brigade enjoyed a deserved change in fortune as he landed odds of 2/5 in the Bar One Irish Injured Jockeys Maiden Hurdle over two miles. This son of Leading Light had reached the first four in each of his four completed starts with his only other outing seeing him come to grief at the final flight of a Limerick maiden in November when he still held the lead.

A patient Kevin Brouder produced his mount to lead with a good jump at the last and, while he wasn’t doing much in front, Light Brigade always looked to be holding Purdey’s Gift who went down by half a length. “He handles that ground well and he was getting an 8lb allowance as a non-winner so he had everything in his favour. He’ll move into handicaps now,” declared Byrnes.

Brouder went on to complete a double aboard David Fitzgerald’s Hilltop Supreme (9/1) in the second division of the 80-95 rated handicap hurdle. An 18-race maiden coming into this contest, the Belinda O’Brien-owned nine-year-old showed a good attitude to get the better of a good tussle with Memory Of Youth after the last and prevail by three parts of a length.

JOSEPH O’Brien pull off quite a feat in the beginners’ chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles as he produced Duc D’Allier (9/2) in fine shape off a 949-day layoff to land the spoils. On just his third racecourse outing, the Annette Kelly-owned eight-year-old produced a nice effort under J.J. Slevin. He took the measure of the front-running Brawler bypassing the final fence (omitted due to the ground) and finished out his race in good style to pull eight and a half lengths clear.

“He was in last year and was nearly ready to run when the ground went quick. He’s a big horse and obviously had a few problems but he has always jumped well and galloped well,” commented the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell. “He’s very lightly raced so hopefully there is improvement in him.”

O’Brien and Slevin brought up a double when Fun Light (11/4) won the maiden hurdle over two and a half miles to build on runner-up efforts on his first two outings over timber.

The Rectory Road Holdings Limited-owned son of Saddler Maker was always nicely positioned and produced a good jump at the last to get upsides the front-running Salt Wind before going on to score by just under two lengths.

“He’s tough and genuine and he jumped well today. He delivered for J.J. when he asked him at the last and that was probably the winning of the race. He’s a horse with a good cruising speed,” declared Power.

Home in Ireland

Barry John Foley, who is based in America for most of the year, notched up his second victory during his winter stint in Ireland as he teamed up with Ballea Fox (7/1) in the 0-116 rated handicap chase over two miles, five furlongs. The Seamus Spillane-trained gelding, who belied a lack of experience on just his second chase outing, was going easily turning for home and gradually subdued the game Moscowsowhat by a length and three-quarters.

This was a third career success for the Allintogether Partnership-owned son of Multiplex.

IT was a rather mixed day for punters as evidenced by the mares’ maiden hurdle over two and a half miles where the 20/1 chance Queen Jesse Jay outpointed the 33/1 shot Daphne Moon, with Little Actress taking fourth at 300/1.

The Robert Tyner-trained and Brendan Keogh-owned winner finished with a great flourish from the turn-in under Philip Enright to head Daphne Moon at the last and score by a length and a quarter.

The daughter of Great Pretender was building on a reasonably encouraging debut seventh behind Power Of Pause at Clonmel two months previously.

Jim Dreaper’s Westy Fox, who shaped well on his handicap debut here last month, justified good support in the first division of the 80-95 rated handicap hurdle.

The Karl Davis-owned son of Westerner was as big as 15/2 in the morning before being returned the 11/4 favourite and he was produced by Keith Donoghue to lead early on the run in before reaching the line half a length in front of the rallying Get Home.

McConnell

penalised

JOHN McConnell was fined €3,000, jockey Conor Walsh was suspended for 21 days and Tango Theatre was banned from racing for 60 days after the stewards looked into the running and riding of the horse, fourth in the maiden won by Light Brigade.

The rider stated that he left his mount with too much to do and should have been harder on him. Trainer’s representative Martin Fox said he was delighted with the effort of Tango Theatre and that the rider will only improve with the experience.