Alton Bay a class apart from his rivals

The experienced Alton Bay mowed down his rivals in the second of Ballinrobe’s bumpers to get his head in front on his seventh start.

He had contested five bumpers and had been placed in all of them. His last appearance saw him run in a Roscommon maiden hurdle where he was beaten two and a half lengths into fourth.

Katie Walsh and the 2/1 favourite sliced through from the furlong marker and quickly put this race to bed in coming home six lengths to the good over Little Haarth (14/1). Sheamus at 12s ran creditably in third on his debut, beaten six and a half lengths by the winner.

“He deserves it more than anything. I was pretty confident. He needed his hurdle run the last day and he came out of it very well,” handler Peter Fahey said.

“He seems to be a bit better and Katie said he should go for a winners’ bumper, but he jumps well so we’ll have to decide whether to go for a maiden hurdle or a winners’ bumper. His owner Anthony Coyne is from Kilbeggan.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes