Behind The Wall and Conor Maxwell © Photo Healy Racing
Hurdling debutant Behind The Wall sprang a 50/1 shock in the opening Murroe 4-y-o Hurdle.
In a race run at a very steady gallop, the winner tracked the leaders into the straight and got a clear run down the inner to challenge over the final two flights.
The Society Rock gelding quickened up best on the run-in to overhaul Awkwafina (9/2) by a length and a half.
The winner had been placed once for previous trainer Archie Watson and had been running creditably enough at Dundalk in recent weeks.
It was a fifth winner of the National Hunt season for dual-purpose rider Conor Maxwell.
Winning owner/trainer James McAuley said: “He is a grand horse and we only started schooling him two weeks ago.
"He blew the start at Dundalk last week and we only ran him over two miles to see would his stamina last and he stayed on really well. He'll be better on better ground and Conor (Maxwell) said he'd also be better in a truer run race.
"He only cost two grand and Denis Hogan, who had the favourite (Zanavi), was over at the Sales and did the deal and bought him privately for us.
"After Sceptical died Jim (Gough) went and must have bought 30 horses in six weeks and we couldn't afford to have them all in training so we started tipping away with a few.
"We have about 27/28 riding out; we have an awful lot of horses with issues, that's the type of horse we buy and Denis (Hogan) will always get some horses. It would have always been the intention to send this horse down to him, with the horse going jumping.
"We were doing the pre-training with Denis and have a great relationship and are extremely close. At the minute we're tipping away but I'm sure it won't be too long before he gets plenty of the horses - I can do without riding seven or nine lots every day!"
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
