Bubbly Bellini (cheekpieces) holds off Avalanche© Photo Healy Racing
Second reserve Bubbly Bellini recorded his first win of 2017, and his eighteenth success in total, as he just held on in the Ardilaun Hotel Handicap.
Down to a mark of 67, the ten-year-old gelding was sent off at 20/1 this afternoon with Colin Keane in the saddle for Adrian McGuinness.
Settled behind the leaders he was pushed along in third on the approach to the straight, and hit the front with a furlong left to race.
He was soon ridden, and kept on well for pressure to hold off the late efforts of Avalanche and Atlas by two heads.
The Thomond O'Mara trained Avalanche was returned at 12/1 under Wayne Lordan, while Atlas was the 7/2 favourite (13/2 this morning) under Leigh Roche for Denis Hogan.
McGuinness said afterwards: "He'd lost his form a bit this year. He'd a bit of a problem with his back and we gave him a break. He had a couple of good runs on fast ground but he loves a bit of a dig in it, and I was praying that he would get in today.
"He's been a brilliant horse for me all through his career. He's won on the Curragh two years on the trot, he's won a Rockingham and three Premier Handicaps.
"People were saying I should retire him but I knew there was another day in him. I'm thrilled to bits for him and he's one of my favourite horses ever.
"He's in again at the Curragh on Monday, and is a horse that takes his races well. He'll have a spin on the beach and we might declare him."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
