Townend combines with O'Brien for Wexford victory

Available at 10/3 overnight, the Joseph O'Brien-trained Duke Silver went off 13/8 favourite for the Slaney View Honda Handicap Hurdle and got the job done under Paul Townend.

Having raced in mid-division, Sarah O'Brien's homebred son of Order Of St George improved to lead travelling well at the second-last and looked set to win comfortably.

The four-year-old was sloppy at the last, though, and had to be ridden out by Townend to score by a length-and-a-half from Onefortheditch  

Townend said: "He ran around a bit and done it the last day (when second at Killarney) as well. You'd think someone would know that and not get to the front turning in here, but he just landed me there.

"I wasn't sure about the ground but Joseph thought that he'd handle it and the step up in trip.

"He's got the job done and it's nice to ride a winner for an outside stable, it's a rare one and I'm open to more offers! 

"He travelled really kindly through the race and it's probably as soft as he'd want it, I'd say. He had plenty of experience over two miles on faster ground, he was down a gear here and he did things right. He'll be a fun horse and hopefully he can mature away."

O'Brien had enjoyed Group 1 success in France earlier in the day with Tennessee Stud landing the three-runner Criterium de Saint-Cloud under Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Quotes from Donal Murphy