Croke Park and Jack Kennedy on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
Croke Park (3/1) was far from extended as he made all in the opening Crottys Lake Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel.
The Walk In The Park gelding won a point-to-point at Dromahane in April last year for Denis Murphy before beginning his track career for Gordon Elliott with a somewhat remote second behind a subsequent winner on bumper debut at Kilbeggan in May.
It was a different story on his first crack at hurdling, though.
Jack Kennedy only had to push him along to assert two out and the five-year-old gelding was clear at the last on his way to an 11-length success.
He did jump the two flights in the straight, on the first circuit, to his left and Kennedy later elaborated on this. Chiefs Kingdom (12/1) picked up a runner-up prize and was three lengths clear of The Electrical Kid (4/6f) who couldn't land a blow on the winner.
Kennedy said: "That was very good - he jumped great, loved that ground but you'll probably see the best of him over a trip and, in time, over a fence.
"He is a massive, big horse and I'd say Kilbeggan wouldn't have suited him, so probably didn't run a bad race considering that. He was always going to be a winter-type on galloping tracks.
"He jumped to his left at two hurdles in the home straight first-time around, but the stable yard is outside him and he might have been looking at that, but straightened out afterwards. I'm delighted with him."
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
