Mckinley surprises in Lawlor's Hotel Grade 1

A mile and a half victor at the Curragh, in his days on the flat, Mckinley (33/1) showed that bit of pace to outpoint two previous point-to-point winners, Tell Us More and Free Expression in the first Grade 1 at Naas, the Lawlor's Hotel Novice Hurdle.

Third string for Gigginstown House Stud and Willie Mullins under Paul Townend, Mckinley was coming back to action quickly after pulling up at Leopardstown just last Saturday.

However that was obviously just a temporary issue and here in the closing stages he mastered his fellow Gigginstown House and Mullins runner, Tell Us More, by three parts of a length.

That fellow, the choice of the owner's retained rider, Bryan Cooper, went off odds-on and put in a bold-jumping display from the front until succumbing in the latter part of the two and a half miler.

Free Expression (13/8 2nd fav) meanwhile, didn't pass the jumping test, getting a few of his hurdles wrong, and ended up a length and a half back in third.

"This fella is improving all the time but I didn't think he had improved that much," said Mullins.

"I only threw him into the race at the last minute as I thought 'where else do I go with him.'

"Paul gave him a great ride. The improvement I've seen in his homework is vindicated.

"Tell Us More jumped fantastic and raced great. He probably had to do all the donkey work and that probably just told.

"He beat off Free Expression, the one that we thought would jump and stay as well as anything.

"It's possible Mckinley's flat race experience might have paid off. Tell Us More had three races where he didn't have to fight or battle and inexperience might have beaten him.

"We'll look at the Deloitte now for them. There are a few novice hurdles around and we'll see how they come out of that and see how next weeks novices get on.

"We thought Tell Us More was a stayer but we might think about coming back in trip now.

"Killer Crow (second last under Ruby Walsh) probably wants further and better ground."

On Free Expression Gordon Elliott later commented: "He ran a good race. McCoy said he hung the whole way. He was only beaten a length and a half and galloped on the whole way to the line."

Meanwhile Tony McCoy himself said: "I was a little disappointed. I thought off the bend he might pick up a bit more.

"He finished off his race but tended to lean in behind for whatever reason - hopefully there is a reason."

(GC & EM)