Kingfisher Lane (near side) and JJ Slevin© Photo Healy Racing
Kingfisher Lane recorded a 33/1 shock when getting up on the line in a thrilling finish to the Tote Jackpot Is Back Handicap Hurdle.
The Stuart Crawford-trained gelding looked held in fourth after the final flight but dug deep on the outer up the final climb to the line.
JJ Slevin’s mount just struck the front in the final stride to deny the always prominent Willyouwalkwithme (9/2 fav) by a neck. Ask The Leader kept on under pressure just a head away in third.
Crawford said, "He has been disappointing over hurdles. He had a couple of really good runs in bumpers and ran well in a bumper here in the spring and finished second.
"In his first couple of runs over hurdles he was running well and unseated and then he just had a few disappointing efforts, but he is starting to get the act together. He's still green enough yet.
"He'll stay. We were a wee bit worried about the drop back in trip, he is probably a horse that wants to go over further but it was a race that was here. He is a home-bred so that is even sweeter.
"The horse in the first (third-placed The Flier Begley is a wee bit the same and probably wants stepped up in trip."
On a quieter recent period for the stable, he said: "We have (been quieter), we have been busy in the point-to-points.
"We have had a real good run with a few four-year-olds the last six weeks. We probably haven't had the run of it under rules.
"We won't have that much for the summer (on the track) but we will have a few to keep us going."
(MG & AM)
