Daily Present (right) beats Bronn © Photo Healy Racing
The 7/4 favourite Daily Present won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle under Sean O’Keeffe.
The Mahler gelding was always prominent and and landed in front of Digby two out despite making a mistake at that flight. Market rival Bronn soon challenged and looked a big threat but the winner pulled out a bit more on the run-in to score by a length and a quarter.
Winning trainer Paul Nolan, who was completing an across-the-cards double after Backintheroom took the first at Gowran, said: "They looked like they went a proper gallop. Sean said going down the back he let yer man slip on because they had gone fast enough.
“He just gave him a little flick, he wasn't hard on him, he was happy going to the last that he hadn't really gone for him.
“When Paul (Townend, on Bronn) came to him he went away from him. Sean thinks he's a proper one and I hope he's right.
“He has changed hands and that's his first run for them, it was sort of a pressure day so thankfully he won.
“We'll see about Fairyhouse and Punchestown with him. He was in the Albert Bartlett but off his rating he had no real entitlement to go to that.
“I think he's a horse that could improve, he's a very slim sort of horse and has just strengthened a bit more and he's only five-years-old.
“He'll probably get one more run and that'll be it. I'd say he'll handle better ground as he's a very good mover. I was worried about the ground today, he had won on soft but this was proper tacky winter ground and he went through it well.
“I love the way he went through the line, it was the same in Fairyhouse. The two horses he beat there have won since.
“I always love a horse that finishes well and he finishes out through the line well, he has a good attitude.”
When asked if he could consider the three-mile Grade 1 novice at Punchestown he added:-
“You would, we don't have too many to run in the Grade 1s but we'll have to think about it. It's a nice break from now to then, we could freshen him up and bring him back for then.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
