Apache Stronghold (nearside) jumps the last with Clonard Lad and The Job Is Right is back in third© Photo Healy Racing
Things may not have gone entirely to plan but Apache Stronghold was still up to making a winning jumping debut in the 10 Euro Admission All Non-Festival Racedays Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown under Davy Condon.
The Milan gelding's hurdling wasn't as fluent as connections expected, and he had to battle on the run-in to see off Clonard Lad by a short-head. They got a bit close when locked in combat and indeed the result was only confirmed after a steward's enquiry.
Noel Meade trains Apache Stronghold for Mrs Patricia Hunt and he said: "He's a very good jumper at home but Davy said he made a mistake at the first which just frightened him a bit.
"He's a nice horse and hopefully he'll go on from here.
"Because of the way the weather has been I thought he'd need it and he wouldn't have run without getting that rain this morning.
"He'll come on a tonne from that – both in terms of fitness and his jumping experience."
Meanwhile Condon's summation went as follows: "He'll probably come on a stone for that.
"He jumped very careful after getting a bit of a fright at the first. He'd only ever schooled over the easy-fix hurdles before.
"He's having a good blow after it too so he'll come on fitness-wise as well.
"When he got over the last he had a bit of a look – he was probably saving a bit for himself.
"I pulled out wide in the straight as I wasn't going to chance going down Ruby (Walsh on Clonard Lad, 2nd) or Barry's (Geraghty on The Job Is Right 3rd) inner. He should be a nice horse to look forward to." (AM & EM)
