Russell overcomes 'inconvenience' for Clonmel win

Davy Russell showed plenty of his old agility on Gordon Elliott's 13/8 favourite Perfect Attitude in Clonmel's Kilmore Maiden Hurdle today, as the three-times Champion Jockey survived a nightmare passage to win.

Backed from 3/1 to favourite, Perfect Attitude raced green for much of the race and was also horrendously hampered at the third flight, as The Mpex Kid jumped across his path.

Russell, who was about to fall off, regained his balance after pressing his hand against The Mpex Kid's rump but quickly regained balance on the hurdling debutante.

Both horses survived that collision and later in the race, Perfect Attitude himself bumped eventual runner-up Wild Shot approaching the second last. That incident necessitated a Stewards' Enquiry but Perfect Attitude had passed the post half a length in front, and the result was left stand.

Russell, who returned from an 11-month injury spell on September 17, later reported “I was lucky everywhere — even at the first and the second. He running around and I was trying to keep him out wide, trying to keep him straight but he was just green.”

Regarding the mid-air incident at the third flight, he added “I put my hand out to touch the other horse and it saved me - I was gone.

“A lot of the time, horses can get cowardly having had that inconvenience, but he didn't and overcame it.”