Baltic Bird and Danny Gilligan © Photo Healy Racing
Baltic Bird opened his account over hurdles in some style and now has his sights set on the Listowel Festival following an impressive victory in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle at Cork.
The son of Frankel won on the Flat last year for John Gosden and cruised to the front here in the straight under Galway Plate winning rider Danny Gilligan.
The 100/30 chance quickly asserted from the penultimate flight and kept on strongly for an easy 12 lengths success over 7/4 favourite Minella Diamond Babylon Beach was a further four and a quarter lengths back in third.
Winning trainer Bill Durkan’s assistant Gary Bannon said, “This horse is still improving. He’s a big, raw baby for a horse that came off the Flat. We gelded him and he just took a bit of time to take to his jumping.
“A loose horse on his last hurdle start made him jump a bit novicey. He’s improving and will be a nice horse for the winter.
“Danny said he’s nearly done it too easy and that he’s still learning. We could put him into a novice now.
“My long term plan was the Lartigue Hurdle and hopefully he’ll go there. Bill likes going to Listowel.”
