The Mpex Kid (noseband) holds Pride Of Pimlico © Photo Healy Racing
The 1m handicap for horses rated 47-65 produced a shock when The Mpex Kid bounced back to form to score at odds of 50/1.
The Tamayuz gelding was totally out of form last year but had won first time out at Fairyhouse in 2020. Here, on his first outing since September, he sat second under Gavin Ryan before hitting the front over a furlong out. Pride Of Pimlico came from well back in the field to give chase but was a head adrift at the line with Howyoulikethat two lengths further back in third.
Ciaran Murphy, who trains the winner for former trainer Dot Love, said: "We gave him a great break. A great friend of mine, Timmy Moore, had looked after him over the winter for me and did a super job. He came back fresh and well.
"We know he likes this surface, he had a cracking run last year (late 2020) on it. Gavin was really good on him. The horse enjoys a bit of space and a bit of room. Gavin is a class rider, I think an awful lot of him and I hope he is going to ride plenty of ours this year. He was very good on him.
"There's a race in Gowran for him in a fortnight's time. The plan was to have him ready for the turf after this evening. It was nice the way it worked out."
Quotes from Michael Graham
