Lynwood Gold just prevails in a thriller

Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power, out of luck at the Cheltenham Festival, continued winning ways on the domestic front as Lynwood Gold landed the Bective Restaurant Maiden Hurdle at Navan.

The former Mark Johnston-trained gelding had shown plenty of promise when beaten by better fancied stable-companions in two previous hurdle outings for the Commonstown trainer and opened his jumping account here in a thrilling finish.

The well-backed 11/4 chance was strongly pressed by the smooth travelling 10/11 favourite Blackbow at the penultimate flight and the pair fought out a ding-dong battle on the run-in.

Power’s mount just proved the stronger in the final strides and got the verdict by a short-head, with Ennemi Public finding no extra seven and a half lengths adrift in third.

Power said, “That was good. He had a good run in Naas the last day, he's improved with every run, and handles those conditions very well.

“He's a good tough horse and was a decent horse on the Flat. Two miles is far enough for him at the moment but he will stay further.”

(GC & AM)