Imadpour steps up a place to open hurdles account Having finished runner-up on his most recent start over flights, the Ian Donoghue trained Imadpour went one place better when winning the BoyleSports Supporting Irish Racing Handicap Hurdle at Bellewstown. With the form of that aforementioned Wexford contest having been franked by the winner subsequently, Imadpour was sent to post a strong 7/4f to register a first win over jumps. Tracking the leading pair from the outset, Conor Stone-Walsh made a decisive move to take over in front after the penultimate flight. Kicking clear on the run to the last, the grey stayed on strongly to win by five-and-a-half lengths. Ian Donoghue said: "We honestly thought he was a cert coming here, especially with the horse (Mercury Mission) that just beat him in Wexford who won well the other day in Limerick. You never know, though. "He's a cheap, little horse. He was very disappointing the first day then he had two good runs and thank God he won today. "Myself and Hugh, who does the race planning, were kind of headbutting a bit - he was sticking to the trip and I wanted to step him up. "He will go two and a-half next Sunday in Fairyhouse, local for all the boys. It will be nice for them to have a runner there with a cheap horse." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
