Fleurys Fort surprised many not least his local trainer Leslie Young when recording a 16/1 shock in the Hill Fabrication Handicap Hurdle at Thurles.

The eight-year-old gelding had previously won five times in handicap hurdles including at Sligo this summer but was all set to go on his customary winter break.

He’d not given much encouragement of late and looked to have little chance here early in the straight as the front-running Authorative galloped on strongly in front.

However Shane Mulcahy’s mount started to respond approaching the final flight, and finished well to peg back Authorative by half a length. Hey Groovy was a further three and a quarter lengths away in third, while 6/4 favourite Cold Shoulder could find no extra from the penultimate flight finishing sixth.

Young said, "He was going home tomorrow for the winter as he is normally out of the winter and he's not even clipped. We'll see now and we might get another spin out of him and maybe he might be back here again.

"He has six races won and hopefully he'll go again if we get him mentally right more than anything. Not too many horses win six."

(TW & AM)