He began as a three-year-old over a mile at the Curragh in 2016 and now at six as a staying hurdler Eight And Bob reached a career high in the Grade B Kilkenny Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle at Gowran.

Owned by the Act D Wagg Syndicate, made up of Aine Casey, Gillian Walsh, Aisling Gannon and Tamso Doyle, this grouping has already enjoyed many great days with Clondaw Warrior.

Facing several in-form rivals, like Bothar Dubh and Mindsmadeup Eight And Bob overcame such impediments to give Act D Wagg another victory to remember.

Paul Townend did the steering on the easy-to-back Willie Mullins charge (8s out to 12s).

He got the better of Bothar Dubh on the run-in and clung on by a neck with the pair fifteen lengths clear of the third, Line Out

“You could make excuses for his last two runs over hurdles and he’d been running consistently well on the Flat," said Townend.

“He’s not always been the cheapest horse to follow but he never runs a bad race.”

J.M. Moore, rider of Vision D'ete (FR), trained by Noel Meade, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount completed this race but was found to be lame when pulling up.

(AM & EM)