Ticket rallies to deny He’s Our Man

The Christy Roche trained Golden Ticket railed gamely in the closing stages, getting up to win the feature race at Killarney this afternoon, the Dawn Milk Run Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old son of Galileo had been campaigned solely over fences since March of 2013 but he returned to hurdles at the Punchestown Festival in May, finishing a decent sixth of twenty-five behind Macnicholson.

Having his first start since he was available at 25/1 in a place this morning (before Orgilgo Bay and Pivot Bridge came out), opening on-course at just 12's, the price which he went off at.

Carrying just nine stone twelve he raced mainly in third under Alan Crowe.

He was ridden into a share of the lead after the third last but was headed and dropped to third before the next.

He was switched to the outer on the approach the last and he railed gamely on the run-in, getting up to score by a neck at the line.

He’s Our Man (11/1) looked all over a winner on the approach to the last but he couldn’t fend off the surge of Golden Ticket and he had to settle for second under Davy Russell for Ross O’Sullivan. Xsquared finished a further length and a half back in third under John Cullen for Joanna Morgan at 8/1, while heavily backed favourite Sizing Italy (2/1 overnight and from 5/4 to 9/10 on-course) could only manage a disappointing seventh under Barry Geraghty for Henry De Bromhead.

Frank Berry, racing manager for winning owner JP McManus, said afterwards: “He jumped great and likes the ground. He got a great old drive from Alan. We will find something for him at Galway."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee