Ardglen showed real guts at Clonmel in getting up to beat long-time leader Hatton’s Wood to land his third handicap chase win in a week.
Shark Hanlon’s 6/4 favourite was ridden by seven-pound claimer Brian Hayes. The pair looked beaten (drifted to 28/1 in running) as Hatton’s Wood (16/1) kept up the gallop and jumped the last well but Hayes conjured a powerful finish out of his gelding to win by three-parts-of-a-length in the two-and-a-half-mile contest.
It was four lengths back to Dashing Ruby in third at 8/1.
Shark Hanlon praised his horse. He said: “He battled hard. Two-and-a-half-miles is too short for him. He will go to Sligo now on Wednesday in a race over three miles then he will have a break.
“He will be 18 pounds well in on Wednesday so we will have to go there. He’s as tough as nails and keeps plugging on.”
Michael Graham
