Maccas Lad & Ryan Treacy jump the last © Photo Healy Racing
Maccas Lad ran out a comfortable winner of the feature race at Kilbeggan this evening, the FBD Insurance Hurdle, for trainer Oliver Brady and jockey Ryan Treacy, with the 11/10 favourite Sweet My Lord being brought down five flights from home.
The eight-year-old son of Milan was as big as 33/1 this morning but opened on-course at 20/1 and was well supported into 14/1 at the off.
He ran well on his last outing to finish fifth behind Call Rog at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and he was prominent throughout this evening. Gates Of Rome fell at the fifth last, when leading, bringing down both Sweet My Lord and The Bishop Looney in the process and leaving Maccas Lad in the lead. Mossley and Ninetieth Minute both threw down challenges but the winner shook them off and despite brushing the wing of the second last, leaving his rider without an iron, he kept on well to assert from the before the last, winning by seven lengths at the finish.
Ninetieth Minute had to settle for second at 8/1 under Paul Townend for Tom Taaffe while Powerstation was a further length and a half back in third under Niall Madden for Eamonn O’Connell at 20/1.
Oliver Brady said afterwards: “Young Ryan Treacy is one of the best seven pound claimers in the country. He did well there after losing his stirrup at the second last."
After the race it emerged that Declan Lavery was taken to hospital for x-rays on a suspected hip injury after his fall from Gates Of Rome.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
