Darasso and Mark Walsh © Photo Healy Racing
Darasso (4/1) was an eased-down winner of the Sliabh Luachra Hurdle as he returned to the winners’ enclosure for the first time in over two years.
The French-bred 8-year-old tracked Scarpeta (11/2) before heading that one after the third-last and he quickly put his seal on the race from that point, going on to win by five and a half lengths from Scarpeta with Snow Falcon (9/1) back in third.
It was a sixth career win for Mark Walsh's mount (three of those in France) and his first since winning a Grade 2 over fences at Navan in March 2019.
Brendan Powell, assistant to winning trainer Joseph O'Brien, said "He is funny because he always seemed to love heavier ground but recently hasn't finished out his races and maybe that better ground suited.
"Mark said he rode him handier and more positively and he did it well.
"We tried him over three miles on heavy ground and probably didn't see it out. Maybe a couple of the others underperformed, the likes of Darver Star but it is nice to get his head in front again."
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
