Court Of Appeal and Conor Stone Walsh lime green win the Cusack Hotel Handicap © Photo Healy Racing
Court Of Appeal battled back bravely under Conor Stone Walsh to take the concluding Cusack Hotel Group Family Raceday July 15th Handicap at Navan.
The subject of a significant gamble when just touched off at Dundalk on his last start, the Noel Hynds trained gelding recovered those losses with a really gritty performance here.
Always up with the pace, the six-year-old led early in the straight before being briefly headed well inside the final furlong. However, he found a renewed effort when asked for more by his rider, emerging on top close home to win by a neck.
Noel Hynds said: "I was hopeful he would go well. He did it really well and we will look for something similar this next two or three weeks.
"Conor (Stone-Walsh) is very good, I've been watching him and made a point the middle of last week to try and get him way before I even thought I was getting in. I wanted to claim off the horse with possibly being top-weight. It has worked out well.
"His last run a year and a half ago he came off the track sore and pulled a muscle. It took him a long time to come right.
"I was going to have him right for Dundalk and then I thought I would leave him to the spring and that has just landed us here sort of way.
"I'm training not far from Banbridge in Co Down - there's only four in training, I'm only a restricted trainer."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
