Adreamstillalive leads eventual winner Ardera Cross over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Local trainer Eoin Doyle ended a losing run stretching back nearly four months as Ardera Cross recorded a hard-earned success in the www.tramore-racecourse.com Handicap Hurdle.
The easy-to-back 10/1 chance shaped well on the latest of his six previous outings when third to Neddyvaughan at Thurles, and confirmed that promise here.
Brain O’Connell was hard at work from some way out in this two-mile event but the Shantou gelding responded gamely to lead on the run-in.
The five-year-old got the better of Adreamstillalive by half a length, with Flathertys Gap finishing well on the outer the same distance further back in third. Roumanian travelled nicely until two out but the absence of the best part of two year’s really told on the 11/8 favourite from that point as he weakened to finish tenth.
Doyle said, "That was badly wanted. He ran well the last day and Brian just said he never travelled around here, but he just stuck it out well in the end. He wouldn't be in love that real deep ground.
"He is still very green, I think he is a horse that will improve a bit in the spring time. We might leave him alone now for a while to fill his frame.
"We haven't have a win for a while and hopefully we will have a few more over Christmas and get going again. We are happy with that anyway. He is well-bred, and it is possible he might come back here on New Year's Day. We will see how he comes out of this.
"He probably needs a bit further, he is not that quick and I'd say two and a half would be no problem to him."
(DM & AM)
