Cup hero flying as Sparrow bags another win

Joseph O'Brien is enjoying an incredibly successful winter spell and the Melbourne Cup winner registered his fifth success in February when his High Sparrow landed the Michael Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown today.

O'Brien, whose Rekindling won the southern hemisphere's biggest race in November, bagged two Grade 1 wins at last weekend's Dublin Racing Festival. Those included Irish Gold Cup winner Edwulf and Tower Bridge, who won a top level novice hurdle under High Sparrow's jockey J.J. Slevin.

Limerick Christmas bumper winner High Sparrow today beat Caltex by a length and a half and afterwards trainer O'Brien stated “he tries and he's a tough little fella. He looked beaten in Limerick and he came back and it was the same again today.

“He jumped well on the whole, he missed a couple here and there, but he'll come on. I'm delighted for all the lads and he's a fun horse for them going forward.

“He should stay further as well and we'll see how he comes out of it and look for something in a month or six weeks.

“He could go up in trip or even a stronger run race would probably suit him and JJ was delighted with him.”

Quotes from Gary Carson