Gaelic Arc and Niall Prendergast (far side) © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer John Ryan enjoyed a fantastic 2021/2022 season with 39 winners and picked up where he left off in the first race of the new campaign as Gaelic Arc landed the Ballygowan Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.
The 25/1 chance, ridden by Niall Prendergast who was enjoying his first winner as a conditional, tracked the leaders before moving up to challenge front-running favourite Flaming Moon two out.
The market leader, not helped at all by the attentions of a loose horse on the way around, ‘missed’ the last two flights and the winner took his measure on the run-in to score by a length and a half with Showbusiness a further length back in third.
The Arcadio gelding won a Thurles bumper last year and was getting off the mark on his third start over hurdles having been beaten 50 lengths on his most recent start at Limerick.
"He's a funny horse, difficult to train," said Ryan.
"He's free and hard on himself. He wouldn't be a horse you would punt on. He is going to be a lovely horse over a fence, he schools brilliantly. He'll go over fences now.
"He's a half-brother to a French Champion hurdle winner.
"Probably the ground today suited him. Being by Arcadio the ground was key today.
"Young Niall Prendergast gave the horse a cracking ride. He's a brilliant schooler and a brilliant cross-country rider.
"He didn't get that many opportunities and that is only his second ever winner. I quickly saw that this guy can ride. He's a good lad and a nice lad."
Prendergast rode subsequent Cheltenham winner Heaven Help Us to win a bumper at Navan in 2019.
Quotes from Michael Graham
