Pakens Rock and Oakley Brown jump the last © Photo Healy Racing
The market spoke loudly in favour of Pakens Rock this morning and that confidence proved well founded as he ran out a convincing winner of the Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Thurles.
Barry Murphy 's charge was backed from 12/1 into 3/1 before racing and eventually went to post a 4/1 shot for the race, run just shy of two miles.
He chased leader Accidental Rebel for most of the contest before hitting the front on the home-bend, under Oakley Brown. Polished Steel threw down a challenge from the back of the second last but Pakens Rock found plenty in the closing stages to post a two-and-three-quarter length success.
The winner was making his first start since pulling up in a valuable event at Fairyhouse at the start of last month.
"Things didn't go right for him the last day at Fairyhouse; it was a highly competitive handicap and we let him freshen up a bit and changed the training routine at home,” said Murphy.
"We thought we were in with a good squeeze today and he came and he produced again.
"We are caught in a hard place; we're not on the bottom and we're not in at the top so we have to pick our races. I thought if ever I had a chance in a big handicap it was the last day and that's why I went for a big handicap first.
"He may go up for winning today so he'll be giving that weight away in a big handicap again.
"He is tough and I think he'll probably get three miles and I honestly believe he'll win on the flat.
"Andrew Flattery rides him out every day, no one else sits on his back and I great feedback from Andrew.
"I'm very lucky - I have four horses and five different people to ride out!"
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
