Outsider Beauty wins incident-packed contest

The Norman Lee trained Bashful Beauty sprang a 50/1 surprise in what was an incident-packed Hollymount Nursing Home Beginners Chase.

The 13/8 favourite Waaheb fell at the third before the well-backed Rae's Creek (4/1 to 3/1 on-course) crashed out at the sixth.

Bashful Beauty, who had been prominent, was left in front by the exit of Rae's Creek and he was headed by Art Of Payroll on the approach to the second last.

Art Of Payroll looked set for victory from here but he came a cropper two out and Bashful Beauty was again left in front.

The victorious grey gelding was ridden away from that fence and he kept on well from there to score by five and a half lengths under Brian O'Connell. Frontline (6/1) finished second under Jonathan Burke for Peter Fahey while Off The Mark (25/1) was eight lengths back in third under Alan Crowe for Christy Roche.

Norman Lee, who trains the winner for Paul Mullins, said afterwards: "You can't beat a bit of luck, and they are there to be jumped. I told Brian to stay out of trouble, and it was just as well he did.

"This horse lost his way and we left him outside. You can't beat a bit of fresh air and some grass, and he's only back in about four weeks.

"He would love the ground a bit better than today. If we get middling ground he could run in another chase, and if not we'll put him away for next year."

Brian O'Connell added: "We had a lot of luck on our side today. This lad has loads of experience and he won a point-to-point and he was probably struggling over hurdles.

"Fair play to Norman, he switched him to fences and it has done the trick from him.

"Bryan (Cooper on Art Of Payroll) went by me very easily and he had me well-covered when he tipped up."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee