Da Capo Glory, right, just gets the better of Rebel Early © Photo Healy Racing
Padraig Butler earned the plaudits for producing Da Capo Glory to win off a break in the Easyfix Handicap Hurdle at Cork.
This seven-year-old Fame And Glory gelding was last seen being pulled up in the Galway Hurdle but ,prior to that, he finished fifth in a Grade 3 hurdle at Tipperary.
Both Da Capo Glory and Rebel Early separated themselves from the remainder on the approach to the final flight. They settled down to fight out the spoils and it was Rebel Early who held a narrow advantage until Darragh Allen drove Da Capo Glory up by a head, on the line, at 9/2.
Runner-up Rebel Early went to post a 28/1 chance and was nine-and-a-half-lengths clear of third-placed Cato's Revenge (13/2).
Butler said: "It is his first run for five months and Darragh knows him very well having won a bumper and maiden hurdle on him. We couldn't look past him with his 7lb claim on that ground, which is worth its weight in gold.
"This horse was my first winner, he is still flying the flag and is a mighty horse. He isn't big, but is very well-bred and jumps hurdles very well.
"He pulled up in the Galway Hurdle when they went a million (speed) and we were behind and beaten after the first hurdle. He didn't really get a race though, but the thing about him is he can hit flat spots in his races.Â
"He ran well when finishing fourth in the Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran last year and that is an option again.
"It is mighty for the five-member syndicate (Red Strand Syndicate) and there are a lot of happy people here, although two are at home with Covid, another is in Copenhagen and he couldn't make it. They are west Cork people and we had our initial syndicate meeting in the Red Strand (in Cork)."
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
