Folly Master and Keith Donoghue© Photo Healy Racing
Tom Dreaper's Folly Master brought up plenty of bets in the concluding 2m7f handicap hurdle at Punchestown.
A trip of 'duck eggs' beside his name didn't deter his backers who supported him at a morning price of 8/1 to 16/5 favourite on the off.
He travelled smooth into contention for Keith Donoghue in this staying test and moved onto the heels of the leaders rounding the home turn. He got a dream split between horses to lead narrowly from Not May before the last and swept home on the bridle for an easy victory by two and a-half lengths.
Runner-up Not May outran her 33/1 odds and was 11-lengths clear of Cosmo Renfro (5/1).
Assistant trainer Thomas Dreaper said:- “He's a fine horse. He won his point-to-point around Bartlemy, which is one of the stiffest and best tracks in the country. It says in the form it was yielding, but it was heavy ground on the day so we had no fear about trip.
“We actually ran him over shorter to try and sharpen him up. He'd turned into a three-mile chaser before he was a three-mile chaser, so we tried to run him in good two-mile maiden hurdles and I think it's made a man of him.
“Three miles in those conditions suited and good owners make all the difference as well.
“You always hear 'he's going to be a chaser', but I'll chat to Keith and we won't rush with him. We'll look for another hurdle over three miles on heavy ground again somewhere.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
