'Monkey' Duke wins for Mahon

Dancing Duke was produced with a well-timed run by Conor Brassil to land the first division of the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Bellewstown.

The Stephen Mahon-trained gelding was sent to post the 9/4 favourite after a promising run to finish third on the Flat at the track on Thursday night.

Brassil had to get to work on his mount before the third last in the two-and-a-half mile contest but he picked up well from the penultimate flight and led at the last.

He kept on strongly on the run-in to record a five-length win.

“He's a monkey of a horse. The first time I schooled him he galloped through five hurdles so we went chasing with him to change his mind,” said Mahon.

“I thought he was a bit unlucky here the other night on the Flat. The horse beside him unseated coming out of the stalls and that rider tried to grab my jockey.

“While he was looking around then the walled built in front of him and everywhere he went he got murdered.

“It's not ideal coming here on the back on that run two days with him being a bit of a monkey.

“I think he's awfully well handicapped. He's a lovely dual purpose horse. Now that I know he can take his racing he's the type of horse you could run Monday on the Flat in Galway, Wednesday in a hurdle and Sunday in a chase.

“That's the type of horse I try to train to give his owner more variety.

“I said to Conor 'there is only one thing in this race that will get him beat'. He said 'what' and I said 'you'!”

“He just got a little bit shuffled back and these monkey horses just need everything falling right for them. The more he was in behind horses the more he was looking around him.

“He was further back than I wanted and I thought he had left him too far out leaving the back track but it's a job well done.

“All the horses are in good form although we are probably peaking three weeks early.”