Iron puts them to the Sword in Ballinrobe Andy Slattery's Iron Sword was easy to back for the bumper in Ballinrobe, but it didn't matter a jot to him as he made all under Adam Ryan. From 8/15 this morning, the favourite opened at 5/6 and drifted out to 'odds against' at 6/5. Ryan sent him on and try as the chasing Le Grand Retour and Harry Swan did in the final quarter of a mile, Iron Sword kept rolling and wasn't for passing. In the final furlong, he had the spoils at his mercy and scarpered four-and-a-half-lengths clear of Le Grand Retour who was backed from 9/4 to 13/8. Assistant trainer Willie Slattery said: "It was straightforward and, in fairness, he was very unlucky the last day at Roscommon (third). Adam had to ride him the way he did then, just to give him a bit of experience, but he got wiped out. "It was a small field here, and he kept things simple. "I'd say he'll go jumping a hurdle now." Additional reporting by Mark Nunan
