Clay Pigeons makes a winning return to action at Roscommon Willie Mullins struck with his only runner at Roscommon this evening as Clay Pigeons took the James Lohan Engineering Excellence Maiden Hurdle. A second winner in as many days for Brian Hayes, the well-supported 8/11 favourite raced wide in both straights and asserted from the third-last hurdle to beat the newcomer Goeasyonme, at odds of 125/1, by three and a quarter lengths. Clay Pigeons was running for the first time since January when he was a beaten favourite at Fakenham. Patrick Mullins said of the Aisling Byrne, Paul Raleigh and Matthew Cunningham-owned winner, “He needs good ground so the better ground helped him. “Brian gave him a great ride and he definitely jumped much better today and was a lot sharper. “Fakenham was probably the wrong track for him, and the wrong ground. “I think there is plenty of improvement in him, maybe up in trip. He’ll go jumping fences next year. Maybe Listowel over further might suit him. “He’s won two bumpers, a point-to-point, and a maiden hurdle so he’s a fair horse.”
