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We've hit the bar here before and I actually never rode a winner here so that's brilliant, everyone wants to have a winner at Leopardstown at Christmas,. We brought three here, the first two we fancied and they ran well but this guy was the banker of the week. He's gone in and we're thrilled. He beat Landrake in his bumper and the third and fourth have both won so for a Wexford bumper it was very strong. He's all stamina so I knew this two-and-a-half miles today, up the hill, would be right up his street. He went at the first (in Fairyhouse) and it can happen any novice. He was a little careful, screwed and pitched on landing. He's a good jumper, you can see there today. When he needed to shorten he did and when he had a stride he was good and long. He's six, rising seven, he actually fractured a sesamoid in his bumper at the Drinmore meeting and that was a year off. We were thinking of going chasing but I think we'll have to revise that plan now. I don't know how strong the race was but he couldn't have been any more impressive. I thought coming into today we might be looking at something like the Michael Purell, which is a Grade 3 in Thurles, but I'm going to make an entry for the two-mile-six Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival. On the back of that he's entitled to an entry. There would have been a lynching party if he got beat. The plan was to sit behind the fancied ones but he can do that at home, when you go to jump off he lurches forward. He said that was what happen Barry Connell, trainer

Following a request from broadcasters, the Raceday Stewards granted permission for this race to be delayed by +1 minute

Owing to the low elevation of the sun, the Raceday Stewards granted permission for hurdle #1 (last hurdle) to be omitted from both circuits of this race L.P. Dempsey, rider of Bring Us Paradise (GB) trained by Luke Comer, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount burst a blood vessel and was pulled up

A hurdle for five years old and upwards, maidens at starting
Weights - 11st 12lbs Mares allowed 7lbs