Gambled Out For A Stroll wins Limerick’s opener J.P. McManus’ well-supported Out For A Stroll (morning 6/1 to 9/4f) landed Limerick’s Christmas festival opener today, bagging the Aqua Process Solutions 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle for trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey Peter Smithers. The daughter of Churchill had previously caught the eye on hurdling debut at Gowran in October and while well held at Punchestown last month, today raced prominently under her 7lb claimer, before holding Bacchanalian by a half-length on the run-in. Smithers, whose previous ride on the same connections’ Jeaniemacaroney won last Saturday, reported “she had a bit of experience over hurdles so we made use of that and jumped her out handy. She missed one or two hurdles but never lost ground and to be fair, she did everything right for me. “I thought I got to the front a bit soon but once I got stuck into her, she found more. I got two nice jumps at the last two hurdles which helped and kept me rolling.”
