Affordale Fury and Bryan Cooper survive a last flight mistake © Photo Healy Racing
Affordale Fury produced a fine front-running performance to maintain his unbeaten record and give Noel Meade a double on the card at Galway this afternoon.
The Affinisea gelding won a bumper at Ballybrit earlier in the month, on his first outing for Meade, having landed a point-to-point back in March.
He went to post 11/8 favourite today on his hurdling debut and bounced out in front under Bryan Cooper.
The four-year-old started to turn on the taps going to the second last and he survived an error at the final flight, picking up again in the closing stages to post a three-length win over Monbeg Park
"He did everything wrong but still won. The loose horse affected him as he was running away the whole way and it affected his jumping. He has an engine but isn't slow either,” said Meade.
"I would have been happy to run him over two miles but with the way the races fell I ran him here. I didn't think 2m6f would be any problem to him and he showed it."
"It might come too soon but he could go for the Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan, we'll see."
The winner was called Affordable Fury throughout the race and Meade quipped "where did the 'Affordable' come from? Nobody can tell me that!
"I actually called him 'Affordable' myself when he arrived into the yard first but when I went to enter him, Katie in the office told me was called 'Affordale'. It catches everybody out."
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
