Orpheus Valley leads Competitive Edge over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Tom Gibney is proving himself quite adept at handling staying chasers and the Irish Grand National winning trainer recorded further Grade A glory when his Orpheus Valley under rising star Adrian Heskin, won the Guinness Handicap Chase at Punchestown today
Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Heskin made all on the 28/1 outsider and the pair lasted out in the closing stages to hold the challenge of Competitive Edge to win by half a length.
Gibney, whose Lion Na Bearnai won the 2012 Irish National at Fairyhouse, later stated “Orpheus Valley got injured here in February when I shouldn't have run him.
“He got a bad knock at Navan prior to the run, when second, but I took a chance by running him because he had to win over a certain distance to qualify for the Aintree Grand National. That was the reason he ran but I shouldn't have and after I got him back, it was a race against time to get him ride for the Festival.”
The winner carries the colours of the No Horse Box Syndicate, whose six member Ballyjamesduff syndicate sent Gibney the gelding following Lion Na Bearnai's win in the Irish National.
By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee
