Prairie Dancer an emphatic winner of Lartigue

Galway Hurdle third Prairie Dancer put up a fine display of front-running to land the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle.

The 4/1 chance stretched clear facing up to the second-last and galloped on well to beat Man O Work and Lunar Power by six and a half lengths and two and a half lengths.

It was a fourth win over hurdles for the gelded son of Territories whose trainer Joseph O’Brien was on the scoresheet at Fairyhouse as well with Approaching Bear

Winning rider JJ Slevin said: “He was lugging a bit to his right on me. I didn’t want to be pulling and dragging out of him so I said I’d leave him (out wide) as he was happy rather than fighting with him.

“That forward going rhythm is important to him and I didn’t want to break that by pulling at him too much.

“He’s a hardy horse and once he can get away and once he can get a bit of a breather about four furlongs down, it takes a fair one to get to him.

“I don’t know what the plan is with him. He’s been busy over the summer but has been a great horse for the boys. He owes nobody anything at this stage.”

Quotes from Alan Magee