Holiday In Kerry rewards Forever Optimists Syndicate There was plenty of drama in the closing stages of the second division of the Croom Handicap Hurdle in limerick as Holiday In Kerry made the best way home. He moved towards the head of affairs approaching two out and wandered causing both Extreme Cacao and Iridescent to shift to their right. He jumped to the front at that flight and increased his margin by the last. The gambled-on Extreme Cacao crumpled on landing in second and badly hampered Iridescent to allow Ask And Answer through for second. The winner had gone, though, and hit the line 11 lengths clear at an easy-to-back 9/1 for trainer Eric McNamara and his son, jockey Conor. Runner-up Ask And Answer was a 6/1 chance and finished six lengths in front of Iridescent (9/4f). Boogily Lane, returning after a long absence, gave his backers a place dividend in fourth at 28/1 having drifted right out from 13/2 in the morning. Conor McNamara said: "He has been a bit disappointing since we got him but he is a grand horse and loves heavy ground and wants a trip. He's a horse you probably won't see until Limerick next Christmas. "He won by 11 lengths off 85 today, but hopefully the handicapper won't put him out of the 80-95 bracket as he was left clear at the last. It was a moderate race but it was grand to win one for the lads and hopefully he'll win again. "The owners (Forever Optimists Syndicate) are Kerry-based and have had horses with us through the years but without success, so it is lovely to get this." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
