Lieutenant Colonel and Bryan Cooper fly the last from Jetson and Davy Russell © Photo Healy Racing
The Fairyhouse crowd certainly appreciated the emotional nature of the success as Sandra Hughes saddled Lieutenant Colonel to land the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle under Bryan Cooper.
Only yesterday Miss Hughes had her first winner, with Sub Lieutenant, owned like Lieutenant Colonel, by Gigginstown House Stud. It is of course just a fortnight to the day that Hughes' universally popular father Dessie succumbed to cancer.
Dessie never hid his regard for Lieutenant Colonel and how the Kayf Tara gelding, a mere five-year-old, lived up to that here, picking up the front-running mare Little King Robin in the straight, and then fending off Jetson by four lengths.
Unfortunately favourite Zaidpour came to grief going up the side of the track, bringing down outsider King Of The Picts in the process (at the fifth hurdle).
"It was always Dad's plan to stay over hurdles with him this year. He was beaten first time over fences so we decided to give him an extra year over hurdles," said Sandra Hughes.
"He's in at Christmas so we'll have to have a look at that." (AM & EM)
