Trainer Paul Nolan © Photo Healy Racing
The Paul Nolan-trained Park Of Kings bounced back to winning ways when claiming the two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle at Gowran in good style.
Mark Walsh produced the JP McManus-owned gelding to challenge over the second last and he kicked on down to the final flight.
The 11/2 shot (9/1 this morning) kept on strongly in the closing stages to post a three-and-three-quarter length success over long-time leader Napper Tandy
It was a third career success for Park Of Kings and his first since scoring Punchestown almost 12 months ago.
“He had been a bit disappointing but it all came good today,” said Nolan.
“He had been difficult at the start a couple of times. In Galway he whipped around a bit and then got into it by coming up on the outside but then got cut off. Every day there was something.
“Today he jumped off nice and smart and jumped away well. Mark kept him to the outside to try and keep him sweet and he jumped well and won well enough.
“He's only six and we'll look for something similar. I wouldn't like the ground to deteriorate too much. He wears a tongue-tie for a reason.
“One some of the good tracks you wouldn't know what would happen (ground-wise). We didn't over-run him as there hasn't been much for him over the summer.
“Galway was his last run and he had a nice little break until now, we won't be letting him out anyway.”
