Fine performance by Joncol bro' Theatre

Joncol's half-brother Fine Theatre belied a lack of market confidence to record a 20/1 shock in the 2m4f maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The five-year-old gelding made little impression on his only previous outing in a hot bumper at last year's Punchestown Festival but showed plenty here to run out an impressive winner.

The King's Theatre gelding took over from odds-on favourite Altiepix after the penultimate flight and soon asserted.

He stayed on really well on the run-in for Mikey Fogarty to draw 13 lengths clear of Boris De Blae at the line, with the 'jolly' a further length and a half back in third.

Winning trainer Paul Nolan said, "You can't beat breeding. For a King's Theatre he handled the ground very well and he jumps better than (half-brother) Fine Article.

"He jumped very well for a horse first time with no point-to-point experience. He looks like a nice horse for the boys again. Mikey was very impressed with him there.

"I made a bit of a mistake. I was standing at the last with Gordon Elliott and gave a shout at Mikey. He thought there was something coming at him so hit him three or four so that was my fault!

"He's a nice horse, by the right sire. The whole family showed they liked soft ground no matter what the sire.

"He handles heavy ground very well and has a fair knee action. We'll definitely stick to that with him but we have no plans at the moment."

Fogarty said, "You couldn't ask for more for his first run over hurdles, and in fairness his jumping kept him in it. I was delighted with the way he picked up."

(GC & AM)