Raven flies home to end Hayes' barren spell

Dark Raven sprang a 20/1 surprise in the Keg Security Tralee Maiden Hurdle over 2m 6f, as he just got the better of the 11/8 favourite Shrapnel to provide his trainer William Hayes with his first winner for nearly five years.

Hayes, who trains in Thurles, recorded his last success on the 23rd of July 2007 when Pesante scored in a handicap on the level at Ballinrobe.

Shrapnel for Davy Russell and Charles Byrnes hit the front at the third last and attempted to assert from there.

However he made mistakes at the last two flights and couldn’t fend off the late challenge of the winner under Mikey Butler (second winner in as many days) who just got up near the line to score by a head. Flaming Hymn ran a nice race to finish just three parts of a length behind in third for Garrett Power at 20/1 while Champagne Agent (who drifted from his opening show of 6/4 this morning out to 7/2 at the off) was a further eight and a half lengths back in fourth under Ruby Walsh for Willie Mullins.

The winner, who is a black gelded son of Fraam, was having his fifth start over hurdles this evening and had shown promise when finishing fourth at Thurles in March and fifth last time out at Gowran in the race won by Forty Foot Tom.

Winning trainer William Hayes said afterwards: "Lar Corbett is back and so are we!

"He is a genuine horse and we are delighted with the way he is coming on.

"The crowning of the cake was that Mikey Butler rode him as he rang me last week asking could he ride him.

"He stayed on nicely at Gowran (last time out) and he liked the better ground today. He will probably go for a novice race next."

Donal Murphy & Thomas Weekes