Top Spin chases The Amarillo Kid over the last with Fantasy King (eventual 2nd) down the outer© Photo Healy Racing
The four to one joint favourites Top Spin and Fantasy King dominated the concluding stages of the Become A Member Of Fairyhouse 2014 Handicap Hurdle and it was the former that belatedly got the job done under a well-judged Mark Walsh waiting ride.
Top Spin, a 175,000 guineas buy out of the John Murphy yard in July 2011, had failed to deliver as market-leader the last twice, but here he got the gaps when he needed them and after gaining a narrow lead on the run-in he fought off Fantasy King (delivered with what looked like a race winning challenge) by a neck.
It was looking good for The Amarillo Kid when he led after two out but he ultimately had to settle for third, a length and a quarter back whilst Silver Shuffle came home with a wet sail for fourth, another half a length adrift.
Frank Berry, representing winning owner, J P McManus, said of the Colm Murphy-trained Cape Cross gelding, a former winner of the Kingdom Gold Cup, on the level at Killarney: "It's nice to win a race with him. It's been a while coming. He disappointed at Navan the last day and he has been disappointing.
"He needed all the gaps to open up today to get there. He seems to jump well but he doesn't seem to be as good over hurdles as he was on the flat.
"We'll tip away with him in a few handicaps." (GC & EM)
