Trainer Maxwell records first jumps winner

Conor Maxwell registered a first National Hunt training success today as his Alison Dalgarno-owned Mabel In May (12/1) landed Tramore's concluding Tote, Never Beaten By SP Handicap Hurdle, under jockey Kieren Buckley.

Initially held up in rear-division, Mabel In May, chased the leaders from the second-last and while Scottish Dancer led on the run-in, the winner finished well and edged her nose in front at the line.

Maxwell, who won the 2020 Leopardstown Chase as a jockey and today registered his third training success, reported “Alison and Calum are lovely people and are neighbours of mine. I broke the filly for them as a three-year-old and they left her with me all along. It's nice to finally repay them with a winner.

“We've a mixture for the Flat and jumps. I have seven or eight in training, along with 10 or 11 breakers and pre-trainers. We've a few orders for the sales coming up and hopefully we can fill the yard a bit more."

Regarding Mabel In May, he said “we've always thought a bit of her and always thought she'd win a little race and she ran a blinder the last day. We were probably riding her wrong and just changed things completely the last day and the cheekpieces probably helped.

"We didn't look beyond today with her, she was in at Downpatrick on Friday but we didn't declare her.”

Quotes from Donal Murphy