Crawford has Paddy's Milestone 'fresh and well' after a year off Paddy’s Milestone overcame a year’s absence to land the €45,000 Bar One Racing Tara Handicap Hurdle at Navan this afternoon. The Stuart Crawford-trained gelding opened his account at Down Royal last November and despite not being seen since, was well-supported here on track from 11/1 into 6/1. Stephen Connor’s mount was prominent throughout in this 2m5f event and although far from fluent at the final flight, kept on strongly on the run-in to beat Grimaud by two lengths. I A Connect was a further three lengths away in third with Sa Fureur completing the places in fourth. Crawford said, “He was fresh and well, obviously. He was fairly straight there. "We aimed him for Down Royal last year, he won it well. A few wee niggly problems last season and didn't get him out again. He has come in a stronger horse this year. "We would have run him last week in Fairyhouse if it had been on. "Probably there today, on heavy ground, you are encouraged to go with a bottom-weight rather than a top-weight. It was an unknown whether he would handle ground as testing as that, but I'd say it wasn't an issue for him. "If he comes out of it alright, something in a month's time. If that ends up being at Christmas, so be it. He's hopefully going to still have a mark that gives him a chance again. "We have plenty in, we have a good squad of three-year-olds for next season so that is kind of the main focus. Few older ones to run here over the next six weeks or so." Quotes by Michael Graham
