The Crafty Butcher, right, gets up to win in Killarney© Photo Healy Racing
The Crafty Butcher stayed on stoutly to collar Time Please and land plenty of bets in Killarney’s beginners’ chase.
The 5/1 this morning was readily taken and when he opened at 11/4 in the betting ring further support saw his price contract to 9/4 favourite on the off.
Adrian Heskin allowed him to creep into the race. The whole complexion of the contest changed when Liberty’s Gift fell at the third last when in the lead. He badly hampered Moonlight Boy as Time Please (12/1) then came through to lead.
The Crafty Butcher still had plenty to do as Time Please came to the last, but Heskin’s mount jumped that fence better and he wore down Mark Walsh on the leader close home to win going away by three parts of a length. Ring Ben (10/1) was third, a further seven lengths down.
“I thought the trip might do him although he ran very well over the same type of trip in Limerick. He’s dying for those fences and a trip,” handler Michael Hourigan said.
“We should have good fun in the winter with him. It’s just the way the weather is – we might look at a winners’ of one if the ground is right.”
The Crafty Butcher’s three previous career victories came in hurdle races over two and a half miles (twice) and three miles.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
