Sean Flanagan steers Daly Tiger home© Photo Healy Racing
Daly Tiger served up a surprise in the valuable Grade B handicap chase over an extended two miles three furlongs at Punchestown.
The 22/1 shot crept into contention on the heels of the leaders running to the fourth last. A good jump there saw him close right up and he hit the front before the penultimate fence. Tornado Flyer the 5/2 favourite, looked a threat on his inner between the last two fences but Daly Tiger put in another good leap and forged on well under Sean Flanagan.
He put four and a half lengths on the favourite at the winning post. Tornado Flyer was one of seven Willie Mullins representatives and his stablemate Castlebawn West (14/1) finished third. Dunvegan (13/2) got up for fourth for his each-way backers.
Noel Meade said: “He struggled all last season with a tooth.
“We didn't know what it was and he went to the vets several times, eventually they had to take a tooth out as he had an abscess under it.
“That's what was probably annoying him for so long. He came back and held his condition.
“He's actually not that long back, he doesn't take a lot of work.
“The worry was would he get the trip but he's got it well and went through the ground well.
“He was a very nice novice hurdler and that tooth obviously had been annoying him for quite some time.
“He's some jumper, he was brilliant. I'm not sure how far he'll get and I'm not sure where we got next.
We'll put him in the Paddy Power. He ran in a point-to-point so obviously stayed well enough for that.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
