Mississippi River again showed he isn't the easiest conveyance for a jockey but Andrew McNamara got what was required out of him to land division two of the Fairyhouse Premier Jump Weekend Maiden Hurdle.
A terrible mistake at the last by Pride Of The Artic certainly did Mississippi River's cause no harm and the victorious son of Sadler's Wells stretched on from the back of that final hurdle to beat Golanbrook by three and a half lengths.
John Kiely trains the former Cork bumper winner (Andrew's brother Robbie rode him that day) for the Friends Again Syndicate.
The Waterford handler said: "I thought the ground might be too soft for him but the jockey said he liked it.
"He is the most unconventional horse I've had since Ivan King (Findus Handicap Chase winner 1982). If you ask him to go he'll stop and Paul Townend said in Clonmel the last day that as soon as he went for the whip he stopped."
This was a lovely success for Andrew McNamara as he has missed most of the last six weeks after concussion and neck injuries picked up in falls at Thurles and Navan. Today was the Limerick man's first day back in action.
Paul Townend reported that his mount, the favourite, Simenon made a few mistakes and got tired on the ground. (AM & EM)
