Double Seven eases to victory under Mark Walsh, with Give Us A Hand back in second© Photo Healy Racing
The quick ground along with first time cheekpieces had the desired effect on Double Seven as he ran out a surprise 14/1 winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Chase.
Trained by Martin Brassil and ridden by Mark Walsh, the seven-year-old son of Milan won three handicap hurdles in-a-row in the year 2011, but he failed to score on thirteen subsequent starts, eleven of which were over fences.
Running on good to firm ground for the first time, he was waited with towards the rear, making headway before the fifth last.
He was third and travelled best at the second last and he gained a narrow lead approaching the straight.
He was pushed out on the run-in, scoring easily at the line by five and a half lengths. Give Us A Hand ran a fine race to take second at 14/1 under Robbie Moran for John Berry while Limerick Lane was a further seven and a half lengths back in third under Jody McGarvey for Christy Roche at 20/1. Loughnagall was sent off the 3/1 favourite under Barry Geraghty for Adrian Murray but he disappointingly pulled up before the seventh last.
Martin Brassil said of his JP McManus owned gelding: "That was a pleasant change as he’d gone very frustrating.
"He was a good horse over hurdles but he has taken time to adapt to fences. Last year he never got that type of ground and that’s what I was putting it down too.
"Stamina is not a problem and he could go for something like the Galway Blazers."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
