Zeeband and Jack Gilligan are a winning combination© Photo Healy Racing
The odds-on favourite Crooked Tannie gave best before the final flight of the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle in Leopardstown as Zeeband took the honours.
Crooked Tannie (4/9f) led into the home straight, but Danny Gilligan was soon rowing away aboard him as Zeeband delivered his challenge under Gilligan's brother Jack.
Zeeband (11/2) got the measure of Crooked Tannie just before the last and a greater danger soon appeared in Master Otis (10/1) who jumped into second there.
The leader nearly had an encounter with the rail in the final 150 yards, but Gilligan kept him up to work as Master Otis took aim.
The challenger was gaining all the time, but was held by a neck at the line. Crooked Tannie weakened in third and was eight lengths adrift of the runner-up.
Trainer Paul Gilligan said: “He’d a couple of good runs in handicaps and I shouldn’t have run him the last day as it came too soon after his previous run.
“He’ll go back into handicaps and is a fun horse. The owner, Paul Carty, has a painting business in Boston.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
