Usuel Smurfer (right) jumps the last just ahead of Off The Charts© Photo Healy Racing
Usuel Smurfer bounced back to his best as he took the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) under Adrian Heskin for John 'Shark' Hanlon and owner Barry Connell.
The six-year-old French bred hadn't run over hurdles since August of 2013 and had been disappointing on his last two starts over fences.
Sent off a 20/1 chance he came with his challenge after two out and he jumped the last just ahead of Off The Charts (25/1).
He was then driven out on the run-in seeing off the challenge of his aforementioned rival by two and a quarter lengths. Zabana finished five and a half lengths back in third at 20/1 under Robbie Colgan for Andrew Lynch while Dara Tango was three parts of a length back in fourth under Ruby Walsh for Tony Martin at 6/1. Thekingofconnemara was sent off the 5/1 favourite (from 13/2 on-course) under Jonathan Burke for Liz Doyle but he could only manage a disappointing sixteenth. John Hanlon said afterwards: "That was lovely. Coming here I was very much afraid of the ground.
"He's much lighter over hurdles so we said we'd chance coming here.
"He could go for the Pertemps at Cheltenham, we'll see what weight he gets. He might have to go for another one.
"We'll stick him in a handicap and if he gets a nice weight he'll go straight to Cheltenham. The better ground in Cheltenham will be a big, big plus for him.
"Hopefully he'll get a nice mark at the bottom of the weights. It was great to get one here."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
