Jack Dillinger (J J Slevin) gets the last badly wrong as Due Reward (Rachael Blackmore) sails by for the win© Photo Healy Racing
Due Reward (4/5 into 4/6 on track) made a winning start over racecourse fences in the Plaza Hotel Beginners Chase at Killarney.
The Galway hurdle second placer had some experience in point-to-points at the beginning of his career, and typical of a Henry de Bromhead inmate he jumped assuredly with his attentions turned to this game under Rachael Blackmore. Jack Dillinger (9/1 into 11/2) and Due Reward were battling it out when the latter got the final fence badly wrong.
That left Due Reward in control for what was ultimately a six and a half length win.
Twenty six lengths back in third were the dead-heating third placers, Ivanovich Gorbatov and The Holy One
“It definitely helped (Jack Dillinger’s bad final fence mistake),” said Blackmore.
“I still hadn’t fully gone for my lad though.”
(EM)