Dodgybingo (Sean Flanagan) survives a mistake at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Dodgybingo put the experience of his previous hurdle outing at Roscommon to good use when taking the Molson Coors 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle in decisive fashion at Down Royal.
The well-backed 2/1 favourite jumped well in the main, and made virtually all the running under Sea Flanagan.
The Roderic O’Connor gelding got the last wrong but drew clear on the run-in with just the loose horse, Bobabout for company and Noel Meade’s charge had all of nine lengths to spare over Zig Zag at the line. East Coker kept the winner company for most of the journey and eventually finished another length and a half away in third, with Trespassed fourth.
Meade said, "He missed the start in Roscommon and the first hurdle and he was staying on and we just thought the way he stayed on that we would make more use of him today.
"He got a very easy lead today. Sean got on very well with him, and he's a lovely horseman.
"We ran him in a mile and a hundred yards in Galway and when the race was over the jockey came in and said 'I think you've made a mistake it's a mile and a half or further he wants!'
"We ran him over a mile and a quarter twice and we thought he wasn't staying on but I don't think he was right at the time, so hopefully he'll win one on the flat over a trip.
"He'll mix it anyway. He's rated 68 on the flat so we'll try and win a handicap with him over a longer trip."
(MG & AM)
