Bye Bye O Bye, near side, looms large over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Bye Bye O Bye kept his head low as he strained for the line and it worked as he nailed Clontarf after a battle in the three mile handicap hurdle at Punchestown.
Davy Russell brought up his double on the 9/4 favourite. He had the nine-year-old gelding in sixth just behind the leaders upon landing over the second last.
Bye Bye O Bye was pushed along before the home bend and picked up into third on the run to the last.
He was ridden to almost get on terms on the outer jumping the final hurdle and kept on best on the run-in to deny Clontarf (8/1) by a short head with 16/1 chance Vote Of Confidence dropping to third. Returntovendor rounded out the places in fourth at 9/1.
Handler Michael Griffin said: “He gave us palpitations. He's a real tough horse. I thought the three runs might have come too fast for him but he's very genuine.
“Davy said he loves coming from behind and passing horses. The plan was to be further back but he was a bit keen so he rode him mid-division.
“We knew he stayed three miles after Kilbeggan and from his point-to-point.
“He's a dream horse to train. He eats and sleeps and when he travels to the racing he doesn't turn a hair.
“The owners are from Galway so the plan is to go there. He'll get a break now as he's had an awful lot of racing in the last six weeks. We'll freshen him up.”
Davy Russell added: "All the credit has to go to Michael and the owner Danny (Grealish), they have done a marvellous job with this horse.
"Lucky enough I went to a point-to-point in Inch and I saw him there and I asked Michael if he would run him in a handicap hurdle and he asked me if there was anyone to buy him and I said 'Jeez don't sell him!'"
"It has worked out great since. He appreciates running on horses heels a bit and then quickening by them late, he likes to do that. It can be quite hard to ride him in those big fields.
"He'll probably be out of that grade now because he won't be able to carry weight."
He has now won three of his last four handicap hurdle races.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
