Longhouse Poet and Ricky Doyle (red cap)© Photo Healy Racing
Irish National winner Ricky Doyle got in as 'first reserve' at Limerick today, steering trainer Martin Brassil's Thyestes Chase winner Longhouse Poet to land the O'Kelly Brothers Demolition Hurdle for owners Sean and Bernardine Mulryan.
Winner of January's Thyestes Chase and sixth to Noble Yeats in April's Aintree Grand National, Longhouse Poet was pulled up on his reappearance run last month.
Disputing the lead today, the eight year old eventually beat runner-up Bois De Clamart by a length.
Trainer Brassil wasn't present and jockey Doyle said “he is obviously held in high regard and even on his novice hurdle form was running in Grade 1s. Today looked an ideal race to get his head back in front but he is obviously a staying chaser.
“I presume all roads lead back to Aintree and this is a nice stepping stone in the right direction. It was a nice peformance considering it was only 2m4f and we hacked around.
“He is very slick to jump; he is a proper horse and all those horses have that — they know what they are doing”
He added “it is great to get another winner for Martin (Brassil) and the Mulryans and great for Paddy Aspell to lead me up on a winner.
“It is my first winner for the Mulryans, they are the big owners in Martin's yard so it is nice to be involved. J.J. (Slevin) is their new retained rider but on days like this I don't mind being first reserve.”
