Monksland in front at Down Royal© Photo Healy Racing
Monksland making his reappearance since finishing third to Simonsig in the Neptune at Cheltenham in March, duly took the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal to land the odds of 4/5.
It was the 25/1 outsider Joxer who made a race of it with the odds on favourite. Monksland held the lead coming to the last, but fiddled it and allowed Joxer to close within two lengths at the line at the end of the two-mile contest.
Noel Meade confirmed that hurdling wasn’t on his agenda for Monksland this season, but that a change of heart saw him go down this road.
“I had it in my head to go chasing with him, but Seamus (Hunt) said I was mad as he has had only three hurdle runs,” Noel Meade said.
“My assistant trainer and travelling head lad also go into my ear about it so we went hurdling.
“He jumped a bit moderately and he missed the last one. He got a bit tired in the end. I know he gets two and a half miles so we’ll step him up to that next time.
“My horses are running well. The plan is to send Go Native to the Morgiana Hurdle [at Punchestown].” Miley Shah (11/4 to 15/8) and Shadow Eile (10/1 to 7/1 before going off 8s) both saw support in the morning and finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Monksland received a quote of 33/1 for the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival this coming March, from bookmaker Sean Graham.
