Rich Belief and Donagh Meyler (blinkers) © Photo Healy Racing
Rich Belief (7/2) took the Pinnacle Sports Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle under Donagh Meyler.
The Make Believe gelding, just touched off at Killarney on his penultimate start, wasn’t great over the last couple of hurdles as he gave chase to Son Of Hypnos but swept past that one on the run-in to win by five and a half lengths.
The 7/4 favourite Skippin Court kept on at one pace to deny Son Of Hypnos of second place by a short head.
The successful 4-year-old was stepping up to two and a half miles for the first time.
Winning trainer Karl Thornton said: "He probably wants that trip. I'd say the experience has definitely stood to him - dropping back from a handicap to a maiden. I don't usually like doing that but I thought it would be ideal around a big, galloping track with his experience.
"He just seemed to travel far easier over that trip, everything just happened a little bit slower for him. He's not very big.
"He gets a mile and six on the flat. I thought about coming back here next Friday for the two mile one handicap, the 50-80.
"He's owned by the Keelings who have been very good to me over the years and let me use their gallops when we had no gallops. I'm delighted to get it for them.
"I'd say we will mix and match with him. He has had a busy enough summer and has been unlucky once or twice."
Quotes from Michael Graham
