Baby Jake and Brian Hayes© Photo Healy Racing
Brian Hayes continues to ride at the top of his form and he teamed up successfully again with John 'Shark' Hanlon when 16/1 chance Baby Jake shrugged aside a 612 day absence from action to take the Ivan Connaughton Auctioneer Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon.
This was a decent performance on the part of six-year-old Morozov gelding as he also had to shoulder one of the top weights in the two miler.
After getting to the front in the straight, Baby Jake found plenty for pressure on the run-in to defeat front-runner Barney King by a length and three parts.
There were four and three parts of a length back to the well-backed 13/2 chance, Glendaars Best in third.
"He fell the last day and he was going to be third I'd say. He got hurt there and he has been off for a year and a half," reflected Hanlon.
"It's great for him to come back and win. Any of them horses that get a leg, it's a bonus if they come back and win one.
"We'll take our time with him and we might run him in three weeks time. His owner (Mrs Nanette Wheatley), who also bred the horse, is from Wicklow."
(DM & EM)
