Well-punted Tangental swoops to conquer

Tangental brought up plenty of bets under a canny ride from JJ Slevin in the first split of the 80-95 handicap hurdle over three miles in Clonmel.

He halved in price from 5/1 to 5/2 before racing and went off 2/1 favourite for this staying test. This was the seven-year-old gelding's second run for Colm Murphy and he finished fifth for him over an extended 2m3f at this venue last month.

His sole previous victory was in a Fairyhouse handicap hurdle two years ago for trainer Michael Butler. Holiday In Kerry was trying to fend off Atlantian racing to the final flight, but Tangental closed into third and was produced on the inner to swamp Holiday In Kerry on the run-in.

Slevin drove him home by a length and a quarter from Atlantian who kept on for second at 9/2. Holiday In Kerry (7/1) dropped to third, a further two and a half lengths away.

Slevin said: "I had a nice position and got shuffled back coming down the hill, but then it opened up for me. I knew he'd fly the second-last and hoped I'd get there and luckily he did.

"I won on him in Fairyhouse when he did something similar and got loads of cover and he is a quirky lad. He can pick up when things go his way and is a funny old boy.

"He won off 86 in the past and (was) off 80 today, and It depends on what the handicapper does to him now. It was a good bit of placing by Colm."

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes