Akito and Brian O'Connell are clear from Stone Hard and David Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
"It's great to get a bit of luck, I'll have to get a lottery ticket now," said Shay Barry after his Akito (25/1) benefitted from the misfortune of others to land the five runner Waterford & Tramore Racecourse Annual Members Chase.
Only two completed here, and Bellow Mome and Flaxen Flare were battling it out when both made mistakes and unseated their riders independently at the second last fence.
Thankfully the horses and Ruby Walsh and Jack Kennedy seemed fine afterwards.
That left the Brian O'Connell-ridden Akito with the task of safely negotiating the last, which he did, for an eight length win over Stone Hard
"Coming down I was expecting that he'd need the run because he hadn't run since November," further explained Barry.
"I was happy enough up to two out, it looked like he was going to run a good race anyway.
"You have to get a bit of luck sometime. He will tip away for the summer now, he likes that bit of nice ground. He was a good servant last year, so we will see what happens."
Akito won his maiden hurdle at Tramore as well, at the August festival in 2015.
(DM & EM)
