Consistent Hillman lands a gamble

The ultra-consistent Hillman recorded his third win of 2013 as he took the Cul Camps Limerick Handicap Chase under Brian O’Connell for John Joe Walsh.

The nine-year-old son of Dushyantor has been a model of consistency this year, finishing in the first three on his seven starts.

Having opened as big as 9/2 with Paddy Powers this morning he was heavily backed on-course from 7/2 into 7/4 clear favourite at the off.

Turning for home the Adam O’Neill ridden (deputising for Declan Lavery) Count Salazar was travelling best with Hillman being pushed along in second.

However Count Salazar (7/1) found little off the bridle as Hillman kept on gamely, on the run-in, going on to score by five lengths from the aforementioned Eoin Doyle trained gelding in second.

The fourteen-year-old, Lydon House kept on to take third at 14/1 under John Cullen for Barry Murphy while Betterthanalright unseated his rider at the last when still in contention in third.

John Joe Walsh said afterwards: "He will go out on grass now. He won three races this year and you can't ask for much more than that.

"I only got him around February or March and he has never been out of the money for us."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes