Dirty Den cleans out punters

Dirty Den recorded a shock 25/1 victory when making virtually all under Sean McDermott in the opening www.wexfordraces.ie Maiden Hurdle.

Rathcormac trainer Jeanette Riordan, better known in point-to-point circles, was enjoying her first winner under rules for over four years here as the lightly-raced nine-year-old dug deep on the run-in to hold off Irish Elk (11/1) by a length and three quarters.

The two market principals held every chance, with Space Race (11/4) only keeping on at one pace from before the last to finish another three quarters of a length away in third.

The distress signals were out from Davy Russell aboard 9/10 favourite Napa Starr approaching the straight. He finished a further three lengths adrift in fourth.

Mrs Riordan said, “I always thought he was capable of that but after the last run I said this was his last chance. We'll keep him to smaller tracks now.”

She has four in training for the track this summer, and Dirty Den (who paid €48.80 for a win on the Tote) carries the colours of her father Michael Leahy.

Alan Magee