Rexem back to winning ways in Clonmel claimer The John McConnell trained Rexem recorded the fifth success of his career when staying on best under Alex Harvey to take the Slievenamon Claiming Hurdle at Clonmel. A dual previous scorer over hurdles, the gelding also boasted both a bumper and chase win to his name. However, having failed to set the world alight of late, connections opted to drop the eight-year-old in class here. Travelling strongly throughout, the 7/2 chance went second early in the straight. Coming through to challenge leader Jerandme two out, he looked beat after the latter got away from that flight the quicker. However, Harvey remained patient, delivering his mount with a second challenge after the last, before getting to the front over 50 yards out. Alex Harvey aid: "I got a lovely tow into the race off the eventual-second (Jerandme) and he settled well and jumped brilliantly. He hadn't been finishing out his races lately so I wanted to come with one rattle and he put it to bed by winging both the second-last and the last. "He is a very good horse on his day and is a very good moving horse, but had just lost his way. He seems to enjoy jumping fences, which seems to have sweetened him up, and with the non-runners in this race we thought it was a winnable race. "Hopefully if John (McConnell) still has him, he might pick up one or two more." No claims following this race. Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
