Meade at double with impressive Very Wood Very Wood gave Noel Meade a quick across-the-card double as he hacked up in Galway’s opener – the two mile maiden hurdle. The 2/11 favourite never came off the bridle when accounting for his six rivals. Davy Russell, in the Gigginstown colours, moved him promptly into the lead from flagfall and as the pair tanked round the home bend only Blow The Doors Off was in the same parish. He powered up the hill and beat Blow The Doors Off (4/1) by three and a half lengths without Russell having to exercise his arms too much. The impressive four-year-old gelding was having his first appearance for Meade having won a bumper at the Punchestown Festival for Gordon Elliot in April. He also caught the eye winning a point-to-point for Elliot in March in Oldtown. Commenting on his quick-fire double Noel Meade said: “I thought before racing they were the two best chances. It gets tougher from now on. “Davy said the ground is very testing. I haven’t overworked him and he’ll come on a tonne. It’s been difficult with the way the ground has been up to now. “We’ve been waiting to give them a run and didn’t want to push them too hard at home on fast ground. He’ll make a nice chaser in time and he’ll go for a novice now.” Ange Balafre won Wexford’s opener for Meade, a quarter of an hour previously. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
