Yes patience was required but Man delivers

Yes Man began with a third placing in a bumper at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Hurdle Day in January 2009. He went to Sligo today still searching for a first victory and it arrived at odds of 33/1 under Jody McGarvey in split two of the Callan Tansey Solicitors Handicap Hurdle.

Housed in a few different yards in the meantime, and out of action for nearly four years between 2012 and this year, Yes Man came out best in a bunch finish here. Less than six and a half lengths covered the first nine home. Solid 2/1 favourite Spring Forward filled that position.

Yes Man made a slight mistake at the last, but he gained a narrow lead on the run-in for a one length win over Lasoscar The gambled-on The Fox Tully (8s this morning into 7/2) failed to deliver in sixth place.

"Johnny Sheedy, from Newcastle, Co Dublin, has been a friend of mine since I was a kid, and he approached me a couple of months ago to train this horse. He had been owned by a number of different lads who lost interest, and lads dropped in and dropped out of him," revealed successful handler Denis Cullen.

"I looked at his form and said 'Johnny do you really want to go down this road' but another friend said he's actually not too bad and will win for you.

"We ran him in a schooling bumper at Dundalk and he won, but when we went to Wexford, the heavy ground found him out.

"Hopefully he'll get through another handicap during the summer and can also jump a fence."

(TW & EM)