Sizing Sahara jumps the last under Andrew Lynch© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie Mullins trained Sizing Sahara ran out a comfortable winner of the Tullamore Maiden Hurdle under Andrew Lynch for owners Ann & Alan Potts (second winner in as many days after Sizing Rio won at Tipperary).
The five-year-old son of Shirocco disappointed in three bumpers before he unseated Ruby Walsh at the second on his debut over hurdles at Clonmel earlier this month.
Sent off the 9/4 favourite this evening he hit the front before the second last (wandered a bit at the flight) and he kept on well from there to score by six lengths at the line from first reserve Lipinski (28/1) in second for Dessie Hughes and Conor Brassil.
The Barry Connell owned Ebazan finished a further seven lengths back in third for Conor O’Dwyer and Danny Mullins at 6/1. He was prominent throughout and attempted to assert at the fifth last.
Andrew Lynch said afterwards: "A bit of class got him through. He still has plenty to learn about jumping. He should improve and he would probably want to, as it was an ordinary race.
"The last day there was a shadow in front of the hurdle and he ducked at it."
The winner cost £80,000 at the Doncaster Spring Stores Sale in May 2011 and he is a half-brother to eleven time winner Arcalis, who won the 2005 Supreme Novices Hurdle (Grade 1) and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) in the same year.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
