Draoicht digs deep to open account

Suain Na Draoicht pulled out plenty in the closing stages to open his account in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle at Sligo.

The Charles Byrnes-trained gelding tracked front-runner Rolly Bowley Boy in the three-mile-one contest before hitting the front after the third last flight. Hardwired looked a danger to the 5/4 favourite after the penultimate flight but he couldn't peg back the Mahler gelding on the run-in as he galloped on well under Philip Byrnes to score by two-and-three-quarter lengths.

The winner had been fourth over timber at Punchestown on his most recent outing and been runner-up in two bumpers.

Byrnes senior said: "He's a big weak horse so we wanted to give him a bit of time before stepping him up to three miles.

"He loved the trip. It was a weak enough race, so it was a good opportunity for him and he'll probably go handicapping now."

(Quotes by Mark Nunan)