Paddy shows his true colours at Naas

Shinrock Paddy put up a great performance to concede weight all round in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle, scoring a good win from more experienced rivals in the two mile three furlong event under Alain 'Squeaky' Cawley at Naas.

Many of the ten runners were still in with a chance in the straight but once the victorious Deploy gelding got to the front from two out the pursuers were struggling to get there and the Barry Connell-owned winner crossed the line two and a half lengths to the good from favourite Donnas Palm

Winning trainer Paul Nolan said: "He disappointed at Leopardstown. I thought the way he travelled there that the one thing he'd do would be gallop to the line. Maybe he didn't see out the three miles but he didn't give us any impression beforehand that it (the trip) would be a problem.

"It was a 50/50 decision to run here as we were going to wait for the Boyne Hurdle at Navan (that will be his next start – next month). However he came out of Leopardstown so well for a horse that shouldn't have, that we decided to take a chance here and it paid off.

"Any day he has run well he has hit a flat spot and he has been a good servant. He'll go chasing next year (a point-to-point winner for Colin Bowe).

"I don't think Barry (Connell) is interested in bringing him to Cheltenham as he has disappointed a few times over there. Anyway the ground is essential to him - he wants it soft."