Jody Ted and Mark McDonagh clear the final fence to win for trainer Eoin Griffin Healy Racing© Photo Healy Racing
Jody Ted made a winning seasonal debut for trainer Eoin Griffin when staying on strongly after the last to land the STL Handicap Chase at Limerick.
A progressive novice over fences last term, the seven-year-old was last seen when finishing runner-up in a Grade A handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival in April.
Although off the track since then, the Dylan Thomas gelding was strong in the market, largely due to the fact that he has a good record fresh.
Tracking the leaders out of the back straight, the Mark McDonagh partnered 16/5jf slipstreamed Pats Choice down to the final fence before a big jump saw him assert and quickly go eight lengths clear.
Eoin Griffin said: "It's a great way to start the season with him and I said beforehand that I thought he'd improve for the run so hopefully he does. We had this race in mind for a while as he is a second-season novice and it's a good day for the local McDonagh family who had an earlier winner - I think half of Cratloe are here!
"Mark gave him a really nice ride - I didn't over-burden him with instructions but he rode him exactly the way I would have liked.
"There's a Listed handicap chase at Navan on December 9 and he might go there."
He added "He won two races here in the past but the second day he got a 'leg'. It wasn't too bad though - it was just the timing of it, as it dragged out into another season. It turned out to be the making of him as he needed all the time."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
