Flamborough and Darragh O Keeffe win the Paddy Power Maiden Hurdle © Photo Healy Racing
Flamborough helped continue the winning start for favourite backers at Cork when staying on strongly to justify odds of 7-4f in Division ll of the Paddy Power From The Horse's Mouth Podcast Maiden Hurdle.
The Thomas Gibney trained gelding had some very strong maiden form earlier in the campaign before showing up well in decent handicap hurdles in recent starts.
However, it was his excellent third placed finish when reverting to the flat in the Naas November Handicap last time that really marked him down as the horse to beat here.
Always prominent just off the pace set by Jasmin De Cotte the eventual winner took over from the latter after four out, travelling easily into the straight.
Briefly challenged by Jigoro before two out, he soon settled the issue in stretching clear from the back of that penultimate flight to win by six-and-a-half lengths.
Trainer Thomas Gibney said: "He hasn't put a foot wrong since we bought him just over a year ago and has been consistent and solid. He is improving bit by bit and on paper he was the one to beat and thankfully he won.
"He has plenty of experience now and hopefully he will scrape into the decent handicap hurdles now, as he'd run from low weights.
"I'm thrilled for Seamus (Kiernan, from Co Cavan) as well, as this is his first horse and his first venture into the game."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
