Rathpatrick a welcome winner for Griffin

Eoin Griffin recorded his first track success in over a year, as his Rathpatrick bounced back to form in the Naas Supporters Club Handicap Hurdle.

Last successful at Punchestown in January of 2016, the son of Oscar finished a close up sixth in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last year.

He failed to make an impact on his last four starts, and he was sent off a 16/1 chance today (as big as 28's this morning) with Jody McGarvey in the saddle.

Settled in mid-division, he made progress into third before two out. He was pushed along to challenge before the last, and kept on best to lead in the closing stages, going on to score by a length and a half. Carrig Cathal finished second at 5/1 under Jack Kennedy for Gordon Elliott, while Chain Gang (8/1) was another four and a half lengths back in third under Denis O'Regan for Alan Fleming. That's A Wrap was sent off the 3/1 favourite, and he finished a disappointing seventh under Mark Walsh for Tom Mullins.

Eoin Griffin said afterwards: "I'm delighted to get that. He hadn't been running too well up until this and we gave him a bit of a break after his last run and freshened him up.

"He had a few niggly problems, nothing serious, but just things that were holding him up a little bit. We decided to just take a pull and give him a couple of weeks off. It seems to have worked.

"We'll see where we go from here. There is a race at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, a 2m 6f handicap hurdle, and there are a couple of options over in Aintree.

"The ground will very much dictate where he will go. He does want an ease in it."

When asked about the current plight of smaller trainers struggling, Griffin added: "It's no secret that it's tough but it's been tough for a while. It's just a matter of keeping your head down and tipping away.

"These things are cyclical so hopefully we'll hang in there until it comes around.

"I enjoy what I do. I know we don't have the standard of horse that we used to have. He's the best of what I have and we'll just tip away with what we have."

STEWARDS REPORTS

The Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined That's A Wrap (GB), trained by Thomas Mullins, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.

A. Ring, rider of Moores Road trained by Michael Hourigan, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount finished very tired.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson