Whispering Hills & Bryan Cooper survive a mistake at the last to win the Novice Hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
The three mile T & V Novice Hurdle went to the 5/4 favourite Whispering Hills providing his rider Bryan Cooper (tenth win of the new season) and his trainer Dessie Hughes with a double on the card, having took the opener with Chase The Favourite.
The 7yo son of Tiger Hill was recording his second successive win, having won his maiden hurdle earlier this month at Tipperary.
It took him five efforts before he won his maiden hurdle and before that he had been performing at the highest level in bumper company, finishing sixth on his last bumper start in the Punchestown Champion Bumper of 2009 behind Hidden Universe. Rising Time attempted to make all but was joined by the winner at the third last.
He soon took up the running, holding off the challenge of Passage Vendome at the second last and despite making a mistake at the last he kept on well to score by two lengths.
Passage Vendome plugged on to take second at 11/4 under Emmet Mullins for his uncle Willie while Rising Time was a further two and three parts of a length back in third under Davy Russell for Paul Nolan at 3/1.
Winning trainer Dessie Hughes, who was recording his sixth winner of the new season, said afterwards: "He is a nice horse. The ground might have been a bit quick for him today but he did ok.
"He is a novice for the season and there are plenty of three mile novice hurdle races coming up for him now.
"He won’t run on ground as quick as that again. The plan was to go to Galway but the novice there is over two and a half miles and he wants every inch of three miles."
(On course reporting by Gary Carson)
