Red Gerry and Sean Flanagan jump the last © Photo Healy Racing
The K Club Handicap Hurdle saw a decisive winner in the shape of Red Gerry (11/4) who came home five lengths clear of Humm Baby (15/2). Rebel Waltz (6/1) was third while the 9/4 favourite Scalino dropped out having been handy and finished seventh.
The winner settled well and put in a good round of jumping for Sean Flanagan. The Canford Cliffs 4-year-old hit the front after the second last and was soon clear, with another good leap at the last sealing victory.
This was a second win at the track for Red Gerry who won his maiden hurdle here last month, before finishing a staying-on third in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel.
After a double at Punchestown yesterday, it was yet another success for in-form winning trainer Noel Meade who said: "I thought he might win the way he ran in Listowel.
“On the Flat it looked like he wants two miles and any horse that wants two miles looks like he wants two and a half over hurdles.
“He runs a bit flat in those two-mile races early on and it just gets him out of it so that worked out well with a good strong pace. You would hope that he can compete in those good two and a half miles handicaps.
“Winter heavy ground might be a problem as he’s a Flat horse. He does like soft ground but might struggle on very heavy ground. On good ground he might get further than two and a half.
“He was second reserve in the Cesarewitch and would have run if he got in. It was a pity as I think he would have run well. He might run in the Naas November Handicap.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
