Whirling Dervish and Ricky Doyle © Photo Healy Racing
Whirling Dervish rallied gamely to land the spoils in the two-mile-seven handicap hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.
The Camelot gelding, a 92-rated performer on the Flat, was making his third outing for Johnny Levins having been fourth on his first start for the yard at Musselburgh last month.
Ricky Doyle tracked the leader Beyond The Law throughout before moving up to dispute four out.
A better jump at the penultimate flight gave Whirling Dervish the lead but Kellyiscool looked a big danger turning for home as he travelled strongly.
There was little between the pair down to the last where the eventual winner (9/2) fiddled the flight.
He looked booked for second on the run-in but Doyle conjured another effort from his mount and despite losing an iron in the closing stages he got him up near the line for a three-parts-of-a-length win.
"The last time I was here I rode a winner for Mr McManus!” said Levins.
"I'm absolutely delighted with this fella and I've been feeling my way with him. I've been training him with the view he will come into his own in the spring/summer time and I was hoping he might pick up one as a bonus coming into the summer.
"I'm thrilled for the owner Peter Trainor who is with me a year now and we've become close friends.
“That's his first ever winner and I'm absolutely thrilled and privileged to have given him his first winner. We'll enjoy this together.
"He was a very smart for Mrs Harrington on the flat and beat none other than the Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment at Gowran Park once."
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
