The Job Is Right and Barry Geraghty jump an early hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
A better jump at the last tipped the scales in favour of The Job Is Right in the opening maiden hurdle at Clonmel this afternoon.
Barry Geraghty tracked the leaders on the eventual winner before sending him to the front before the fourth last flight.
Michael Hourigan’s charge looked booked for second, however, when claimed by Unic De Bersy after making a mistake at the second last.
The 5/4 favourite ran a touch green going to the final flight, however, and surrendered his lead with a sloppy leap there.
The Job Is Right (10/3) grabbed his chance and stayed on well on the run-in to score by a length-and-three-quarters.
The five-year-old wasn’t winning out of turn having been placed four times over timber since winning his bumper at Limerick in May.
The winner is owned by Mary Devine and her husband Jim, who is originally from Kilrush in County Clare but now lives in England. The pair are set to donate today’s prize-money to the John Thomas McNamara fund.
Hourigan revealed that they previously had Deejaydee with him, who won the four-miler at Cheltenham and The Job Is Right will be aimed at the same race.
“He should have won before now but he got his turn. He’s not dodgy but blinkers sharpen him up - he’s just slow.
“He might got to Thurles next Thursday. He’s a good leaper but doesn’t jump hurdles as well as he can jump fences.
“I’m going to train him for the four-miler next March. He could have his first run over fences in that but I’ll have to look at the conditions. If they need to have run over fences I’ll get a run into him beforehand.”
Hourigan is no stranger to success at this meeting having won the featured Clonmel Oil Chase in the past with stars Beef Or Salmon and Dorans Pride.
Davy Russell, rider of the runner-up, was hit with a two-day ban for careless riding after his mount was found guilty of causing interference to the third-placed Gort An Chnoic
Unic De Bersy came across his rival between the last two flights.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes)
