Charlie Swan stole the show, as he has done on so many occasions in his glittering career, at Navan on Saturday afternoon.
The nine times champion reached another milestone when he rode the 1300th winner of his career on Over The First in the Proudstown Handicap Hurdle, one of three winners for him on the day.
Swan was at his strongest on the 5/1 chance who rallied after a mistake at the last to beat On The Mend by a short-head.
'This horse has won three times for every year I have had him. He made a mistake at the last there and it was tight at the line, but I thought I had won.'
'I have considered retirement on a couple of occasions but it certainly will not happen while I'm still riding winners. I enjoy it too much,' said Swan, who is 35 later this month.
Swan had earlier landed the opening division of the Mullacurry Maiden Hurdle, the 20/1 outsider hitting the front at the third last hurdle and keeping on well to account for the well supported odds-on favourite Marigold.
An historic afternoon was completed when he gave My Name's Not Bin a fine ride to win the Mannix Dowdall Maiden Hurdle (Div 2).
The 6/1 winner one of two horses trained under permit by John Kenny who lives just three miles from Swan. 'It's been almost a lifetime's ambition for Charlie to ride a winner for me. This mare has used his gallops twice during the last week.'
Ruby Walsh, who was out of luck with Marigold, went one better when getting Joueur D'Estruval home in the second division of the same race.
The 7/4 chance had finished three and a half lengths behind Supreme Developer when fifth at Leopardstown at Christmas but had little difficulty in reversing that form.
Walsh produced Willie Mullins' gelding to challenge the 9/10 favourite at the final hurdle and the French import kept on to win by two lengths.
'He could now go for the Deloitte and Touche at Leopardstown. I am delighted with him. He settled well today and is beginning to fulfill the promise he showed last year', said the winning trainer.
Frances Crowley's Nil Desperandum is certainly one of the better novices around and he comfortably landed the Conway Group Novice Hurdle.
A second winner on the day for Ruby Walsh, Nil Desperandum drew clear on the run to the last to score from Fota Island and the gambled-on Khetaam.
Crowley said, 'He will be entered for the SunAlliance Hurdle and will have another run somewhere before that.'
