Meade's 'Bloke' readily wins bumper under Maguire

Hes A Hardy Bloke (5/2) was an impressive winner of the bumper at Clonmel in the hands of Finny Maguire.

Caught close home and beaten just a head on his previous start at Navan, Noel Meade’s 5-year-old travelled really well throughout and headed Evens favourite Don Diablo over a furlong from the finish.

He galloped away to beat the staying-on Quirt Evans (18/1) by six lengths with the favourite back in third.

Sporting the Quevega colours of the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate, the winner, by the Monsun horse Aizavoski, had won a point-to-point for Michael Goff before joining current connections for 50,000 pounds.

“It was very straightforward and I just tracked the favourite (Don Diablo), said Maguire.

"He carried me every step of the way, he only woke up when we turned in and I gave him one back-hander when he was in front in case he pulled up.

"He was good and honest and galloped all the way to the line.

"He is a lovely horse."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes