Sergeant has too much fire power for his rivals Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, out of luck with the odds-on Doctor Elvis in the previous race, were on the mark with Gunnery Sergeant in the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon. The 5/6 favourite, placed twice in maiden hurdles last month, travelled well to lead at the penultimate flight and soon asserted under Kennedy. However, the champion jockey needed to get quite animated on the run-in as the son of Doctor Dino was driven right out to hold off Flashy Fred by a length and a quarter. The pair pulled nine lengths clear of Beeverstown Boy in third. Kennedy said, “He jumped and travelled well. It looked a fairly winnable race, so it was nice for him to get his head in front. “He could have done with a bit of company for a bit longer, but thankfully he held on. Getting his head in front should give him a bit of confidence.” Doctor Elvis was pulled up on the run-in after losing his action approaching the last. Quotes by John O'Riordan
