Meade taps into Diol Ker's potential

Diol Ker stayed on best to land the two and a half mile maiden hurdle on Fairyhouse's card.

The Martaline gelding travelled ominously well for Sean Flanagan as the pair swept into the lead approaching the home bend.

He was shaken up by Flanagan after negotiating that obstacle and had Monkfish and Escaria Ten in trouble before the last.

Diol Kerr kept on to close out the spoils by seven lengths at 7/2. Monkfish, the 6/4 favourite, had to settle for second. Escaria Ten (8/1) was another two and three quarter lengths away in third.

Trainer Noel Meade said: "He's a lovely horse and if you wanted to paint a horse to make a chaser you'd paint him. He's the most gorgeous horse.

“He was going to win in Leopardstown last year and he stumbled at the last. Whatever he did, I think he might have pulled something, because it took him an awful long time to get over it.

“He had another run, and got beat in Navan, and we said we'd leave him after that for the rest of the season.

“He'll have his season jumping hurdles and he'll be a chaser for next season. Hopefully he stays together because he could be a real one when he gets jumping fences.

“He stays well, I've no doubt about that. He was getting an allowance there off the winners which was a help as well but he's a horse for the future.

“He'll climb up there. It might take fences before he gets to the very top but he will get up there when he's jumping fences. He's a nice horse.”

Diol Ker was last seen finishing second in a maiden hurdle at Navan in January.

He is a former point-to-point winner, for Pat Doyle, at Curraghmore in April 2018.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson