Job done - High Altitude and Colin Keane© Photo Healy Racing
Third reserve High Altitude got his chance, and under a brave ride by champion jockey Colin Keane he shed his maiden tag at the fifteenth attempt in the Killarney Advertiser Handicap.
John Murphy won this event last year with Rosin Box and the Cork handler and Killarney specialist made no mistake here with the well-supported victor (8s into 7s).
Keane waited for a gap on the rail on the sweet-travelling High Altitude up the straight.
When it came in the final furlong the Papal Bull gelding wasn't long about going through, eventually prevailing by a length and a quarter from Koybig
Once in the clear Mr Ormsby finished off well for third, a neck adrift.
"I don't know why he hasn't won a couple of races before now but he has been the most unlucky horse. He is genuine as the day is long but has always been in the unlucky part of life!" said Murphy.
"He needs quicker ground than this be be at his best and we'll see what the handicapper does now.
"Paul Flynn rang this morning (trainer of non-runner Try Again) to say he wasn't running and I rang Ado McGuinness who said he wasn't running (the second reserve Beau Satchel). We also had the first reserve so this fellow was going up 7lbs so we said we'd run him instead. Sometimes things go your way!"
(TW & EM)
