Influential Lady springs a shock© Photo Healy Racing
Kieran Callaghan was coolness personified aboard 33/1 outsider Influential Lady in the Navan Members Mares Handicap Hurdle.
The 5lb claimer left the front three at it as he raced Jimmy Barcoe's mare off the pace in fourth.
The duo took closer order in third at the penultimate flight and improved into second jumping the last.
Between the final two flights, 5/6 favourite Instant Tendance had travelled smoothly to the front and was two lengths clear of Influential Lady as they tackled the final obstacle.
However, it was all change on the run-in as it became hard work for Instant Tendance and Influential Lady swamped her inside the final 100 yards.
She won going away by three and a-half lengths from the 'jolly'.
Callaghan said: “She's been off the track for a while and the plan today was to sneak around and try to pick up any prize-money we could - just ride her patiently.
“It kind of fell into her lap and she was very good. The race was run to suit her as we got racing early down the back and I just crept away the whole way.
“She was fit and ready, and looked great in the paddock beforehand.”
This was Influential Lady's sixth career success (five over hurdles and one over fences).
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
