Pair of outsiders fight out finish to LK hurdle

The Bill Lanigan trained 50/1 shot Accordion Twilight led home a pair of long priced handicap debutants in the Mike Denver Plays Limerick Racecourse Live 23rd July Handicap Hurdle at Limerick today, winning narrowly under Roger Loughran.

Lanigan's homebred son of Accordion was having just his fourth start but stayed on gamely on the run-in to beat fellow handicap debutante and 66/1 outsider No Kidding by half a length.

Eleven to eight favourite Dollar And A Dream failed to recover from a mistake at the fourth last flight and while never in serious contention thereafter, stayed on well despite hanging on the run-in, to finish a close third.

Afterwards Lanigan stated "he (Accordion Twilight) has always been a nice horse and is owned by Paddy Ryan from Toomevara. I bred him myself and he is out of a bumper and point-to-point placed mare who hadn't many runs.

"He never did a bad piece of work but has just taken time and he'll jump a fence in time. He won't run on rock hard ground as he's too nice a horse."

By Tom Weekes