Realt Mor and Keith Donoghue© Photo Healy Racing
Realt Mor completed a double on the day for Gordon Elliott and owner Pat Sloan when taking the Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle in tremendous style at Thurles.
The veteran gelding was recording his sixth success under rules but can be a very in and out character and was dismissed by punters as a 25/1 chance.
However he travelled supremely well under Keith Donoghue, and swept to the front approaching the final flight.
The son of Beneficial soon settled the issue and stayed on strongly to beat Inch Rise by four and three quarter lengths. Tinos Tank was another two and a half lengths away in third, with 9/4 favourite Westerner Point back in fourth. The Storyteller initiated the double for connections when taking the W T O’Grady Memorial EBF Novice Hurdle in equally impressive fashion.
Elliott said, “It’s a nice race to win. He’s either very good or very bad, there is no inbetween with him. We tried dropping him in and they went so fast it suited him grand.
“He won a Powers Gold Cup so he wasn’t a bad horse in his day. He’ll probably mix and match it between hurdles and fences.”
