Quart flops as Bigbadjohn springs surprise

Bigbadjohn sprang a 16/1 surprise in the bumper at Listowel, the Dr. Louis O'Carroll INH Flat Race, scoring under Declan Queally for Kilkenny based trainer Garrett Power.

The six-year-old son of Vinnie Roe won a point-to-point at Boulta on his last outing, which was his fourth start overall.

Making his racecourse debut today he was available at 33/1 in a place this morning before going off a 16/1 chance.

Having chased the leaders throughout he was ridden in third entering the straight for the final time. He came through to lead a furlong from home and kept on well from there to score by two lengths. Kilkishen (5/1), who won a bumper at Kilbeggan on his last start, finished second under Jamie Codd for John 'Shark' Hanlon while Rocklander (7/1) was five and a half lengths back in third under Steven Clements for Eoin Griffin. Au Quart De Tour was sent off the 5/4 favourite and he finished a well-beaten sixth under Patrick Mullins for his father Willie.

Garrett Power said afterwards: "That was good and he's a proper horse. We got his wind done after his win the last day and while we were a bit worried about the ground it probably suited him at the end of the day.

"He's an out and out chaser and not really a bumper type and is for sale. That's my first racecourse winner for his owner Godfrey Moylan."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes