Jesse Evans and Bryan Cooper © Photo Healy Racing
Jesse Evans quickened up smartly to run out a cosy winner of the Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Tipperary this afternoon.
The Noel Meade-trained gelding was a well supported 7/4 joint-favourite (9/2 this morning) in the Grade 3 contest and was produced with a swooping run two from home by Bryan Cooper.
He hit the front on landing at the penultimate flight and soon went on from front-runner Effernock Fizz
The So You Think gelding was in control thereafter and kept on strongly on to record a four-and-a-half length win over the long-time leader.
“Paul Carberry came to me the other day and he said to me 'you are riding that horse all wrong',” said Meade.
“He said to tuck him in and use his speed and that we were throwing races away. He said to hold him up, take our time, because he has a lightning burst of speed.
“I know the race fell apart, and the two fancied horses didn't run well, but still it was nice to see him quicken up the way he did.
“He's a nice horse, I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do with him next. We might try a graded race with him again and see how we get on.
“He does like goodish ground and wouldn't like winter heavy. He's not unlike Go Native who actually won this a few years ago.” Abacadabras and Jason The Militant both came with their chances two from home but failed to pick up and finished third and fourth respectively.
