Foot Soldier, in first time cheekpieces, jumps a hurdle on his way to victory under David Casey© Photo Healy Racing
Bottom weight Foot Soldier got up close home to win the EPS Pumps Hurdle under David Casey for Charlie Swan.
After putting in a string of good efforts in competitive handicaps, the four-year-old son of Danehill Dancer was fitted with cheekpieces for the first time this evening in the hope they would help him finally shed his maiden tag over flights.
Sent off at 10/1, the bay gelding raced in third in the early stages before dropping to sixth.
He was just behind the leaders approaching the second last but he was being pushed along.
He responded well to pressure as he plugged on along the rail, hitting the front in the closing stages to score by half a length at the line.
After winning at Sligo last week, Hurricane Jojo was sent off the 11/4 favourite (opened at 4/1 on-course) under Davy Condon for Steven Ryder.
She kept on well on the run-in but couldn’t match the winner, and she had to settle for second, while the front-running, The Ring Is King (7/1), was another half a length back in third under Alan Crowe for Paul Flynn.
That fellow held a two length advantage at the last, but a mistake there cost him valuable momentum and was outpaced by the aforementioned pair on the run-in.
Charlie Swan said afterwards: "David gave him some ride, it was unbelievable, he rode him like a man possessed – he must have lost his wallet!
"He was second early and then dropped to sixth down the back and I’ll have to thank David for getting him back up.
"He is tough, he likes to be in dogfight and he likes fast ground. We will keep him on the go now for a while.
"It is nice to win a pot like this and it is great for his owners (Richard McNally, Leo Walsh, L Murrin & John Collins), they also had Rajik with me."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
