Desertmore House (left) jumps the last in third © Photo Healy Racing
Top weight and 9/2 joint-favourite Desertmore House recorded his second win of the summer at Kilbeggan when taking the 3m1f handicap chase under Ricky Doyle.
Successful in a beginners' chase over course and distance last month, the eight-year-old was pushed along in third before the last and got a good run up the inner on the run-in to beat long-time leader My Design by two lengths.
Martin Brassil, who trains the winner for Bernard Carroll and Anthony Vaughan, said: “He's probably never run on ground that soft but I wasn't too worried. He's game, honest and loves a trip.
“He keeps galloping and he took the shortest way around. He got a grand split and he needed it because he doesn't do anything in a hurry.
“I'd say the run in the Blazers helped him for today because he never went as fast in his life, in a competitive handicap like that on better ground.
“It may have stood to him, we had to run to find out.
“If the ground doesn't get too bad we'll see what the handicapper does. He's a novice anyway so we have options.
“He's a nice horse to have and great for the owners. We're lucky that when John Reddington was finished riding him in bumpers that we found someone for him.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
