The Red Menace and Sean Flanagan (near) take a hurdle in company with Timber House and Jack Kennedy© Photo Healy Racing
A gamble on Dommage Pour Toi (11/2 into 7/2) narrowly came unstuck in the Donohoe Marquees Maiden Hurdle as The Red Menace (5/6) justified odds-on favouritism in Leopardstown's second event.
Dommage Pour Toi 'missed' the last and Rachael Blackmore dropped her reins in the closing stages before a nose split them at the line.
Noel Meade trains The Red Menace for Denis Hannon. Athlone man Hannon also bred the Mountain High gelding and Sean Flanagan did the steering.
“Just in the last 20 yards the other horse seemed to find a gear and I thought we were beat," said Meade.
“He jumped brilliant the whole way. In his bumpers he never used to travel but he travelled great today and the jump at the last won it.
“He worked brilliant the other day and he never does that. He wants three miles. We’ll see what the handicapper does and he’s a novice until later in the year so he can run in long distance novice races over the summer.”
Meanwhile on Gold Cup hope Road To Respect the Tu Va handler remarked: “Road To Respect is in good form. He has one piece of work to do and that should leave him right. He’s in good shape and fingers crossed everything will go well between now and the Gold Cup.”
(AM & EM)
