Noah's Light and winning connections© Photo Healy Racing
Well-backed Noah's Light came home best to take a dramatic renewal of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle in Navan.
Front-running, and keen, Hans Gruber raced with a clear lead approaching the home straight but failed to negotiate the bend and went straight on into the chase course.
This left Au Fleuron and Getupthemstairs in the lead on the descent. The latter held a narrow lead over two out but Noah's Light then loomed large coming to the final flight.
He swept through between horses to hit the front in the final 100 yards and kept on well to score by a length and a quarter at 13/2 having been 12/1 in the morning. Dartan was a fast-finishing second at 33/1 and got up to pass Getupthemstairs (10/1) by a neck.
"I'm delighted with him. He's owned by my friend Michael Ryan, he got the horse for very handy money,” said trainer Declan Queally.
“I was actually offered him at a minimum price myself as a young horse. I didn't take him and offered him to Michael. That's life and I'm sorry I don't own him now but I'm delighted my good friend Michael does.
“I knew he'd stay because he's got a very good pedigree, his dam is a half-sister to Fair Along. I was happy enough coming down the straight that we'd gone a nice gallop.
“He had a lovely run here the last day and was obviously going to improve. Michael would be a selling man so he'll probably be gone now.”
Queally's son Declan did the steering as he did when Noah's Light was third on debut over course and distance earlier this month.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
