House Rules is driven out to beat He's Our Man with the rider less Dante's King in the foreground© Photo Healy Racing
House Rules made a successful return to action in the Daily Mirror Handicap Chase for Andrew Lynch and Henry De Bromhead.
The seven-year-old son of Overbury was last seen finishing second to Baily Green in a Grade 3 at Roscommon last October, winning his novice chase at Killarney on the start before that.
Making his handicap debut this afternoon he was sent off at 8/1 (was 9/2 this morning with Paddy Powers).
The Ann & Alan Potts owned gelding hit the front on the run to the last and he kept on well on the run-in to see off He’s Our Man (14/1) & Andrew McNamara by three parts of a length.
The Noel Meade trained Dark Prospect kept on well to take third at 20/1 under Mark Bolger (deputising for Robbie Colgan) while the gambled on Commanchewardance (12’s into 6’s on-course) was a short head back in fourth under Paddy Mangan (deputising for the injured Bryan Cooper) for Denis Murphy. Mart Lane was sent off the 11/2 favourite (backed on-course from 7/1) under Danny Mullins for John 'Shark' Hanlon but he could only manage eleventh.
Henry De Bromhead said afterwards; "They all count and it was a good race to win.
"He had a good enough season last year before he was beaten out of sight in a Grade 3 by Baily Green on soft to heavy ground.
"He loves good ground and he jumped brilliantly for his first handicap. The loose horse nearly wrecked the race for him.
"He loves Kerry tracks and we will keep him on the go for the summer."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
