Dollar Value toughs it out from the front© Photo Healy Racing
Dollar Value (18/1) was a game winner off the front in Leopardstown's mile and a half handicap.
The five-year-old gelding came out best in a battle for the lead with Voice Of Salsabil and soon took the field of 17 runners along.
Niall McCullagh set his own fractions in front and had his rivals at work approaching the home bend. A Place Apart and Sicario were hot on McCullagh's heels coming to the business end as he went for the stick on Dollar Value who kept finding.
The leader was resolute in the final furlong and fended off a closing Sicario (10/1) by half a length as they flashed past the post.
A Place Apart finished a length and three parts back in third at 7/1. Each-way punters got a dividend from Aasleagh Fawn in fourth at 6/1.
Trainer Tom McCourt said: “Niall rode him last year in Bellewstown and said he could have went a bit quicker as all he did was stay.
"He made plenty of use of him today and said he had a bit of a blow and thinks he might improve a bit off that.
“He won over seven furlongs in England but we’ve never seen any of that pace. He won a two and a half miles hurdle for us.
“He’s a nice big galloping horse and will mix it over hurdles and on the Flat. He’ll jump a fence and has schooled over fences.”
This was Dollar Value's third career success having landed a Chelmsford City handicap in October 2018 (for Robert Cowell) and a maiden hurdle at Sligo last August.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
