Craic delivers for Budds & Fitzgerald

Shane Fitzgerald recorded his second success in the professional ranks, as he guided Craic Eile to victory in the FormaHoof Maiden Hurdle.

A good fourth on his penultimate start, the son of Palavicini since finished down the field on his handicap debut at Punchestown on Monday, finishing fourteenth of twenty-one.

Sent off a 15/2 chance this evening (12s in early shows), the Connery Family Syndicate owned bay was settled behind the leaders on the outer, improving to the front three flights from home.

He was ridden from the next and kept on well for pressure, coming home a length and three parts to the good. Voice Of Hope (5/1) ran on to take second under Cian Quirke for Andy Slattery, while Estepona Sun (10/3jfav) was another length and a half back in third. San Pedro was the other joint-favourite and he finished sixth.

Budds said afterwards: "I had this race picked out for him a while back. I thought he got too high of a rating in the handicap and I ran him in one the other day, just to see what would happen. Danny Mullins rode him and said he wouldn't be afraid to go for this race today.

"He ran a good race for his first handicap despite finishing down the field a bit. Danny said if he came out of it okay and got in here that he'd run him.

"I knew he'd like it around here because he was third here on the flat. He just needs trappy little tracks.

"He is going to improve. He is not overly big and is still a bit immature. His handicap mark will be fairly high now!

"I'm delighted with him. He has his own way of jumping and is very fast away from a hurdle. That helps him because he spares so much energy then.

"He will probably go back on the flat now. There is a couple of choices around here for him in August."