Dragon Claims Dramatic Cleeve Henry Daly was left cursing his luck again as Mighty Man leapt to the head of the betting for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle despite finishing only second at Sandown. Just as he had flown up the hill all too late to grab the spoils at Cheltenham last time out, so it all happened again as the 15-8 favourite was unfortunate to find Fire Dragon two lengths too good in the rescheduled HBLB Cleeve Hurdle. Mighty Man lost his chance when hampered on the home turn in a melee which saw Richard Johnson´s mount snatched up at a crucial time. But although Daly may not agree, there was something of a sense of justice with Fire Dragon´s victory, his trainer Jonjo O´Neill having lost Smurfit Champion Hurdle candidate Lingo in a gallops accident earlier in the day. Fire Dragon made all under a well-judged ride from Tony McCoy, who kicked on around the home turn while still leaving enough to hold off the challenge of Patriarch Express who joined the winner at the second-last. Catching Fire Dragon hand over fist on the run-in, Mighty Man still had two lengths to find at the winning post, with Martin Pipe´s Westender (28-1) staying on for third to edge out Patriarch Express. No Refuge lost all chance with a bad mistake at the second-last when looking poised to challenge, while My Way De Solzen was a late withdrawal because of the unsuitably quick ground. O´Neill was quick to salute McCoy. 'Without a doubt ´AP´ won it,' he said. 'It is not often he is in the wrong place. He got him galloping right from the start. It was magic.' The stewards held an inquiry into the interference but ruled it was accidental and took no action. Fire Dragon and Mighty Man will now renew rivalries at the Festival in March. The former can be backed at 20-1 with Bet365 and Cashmans but is as short as just 8-1 with Coral, who also took a view on Mighty Man´s run and slashed him to 4-1 favourite. Ladbrokes and Bet365 offer 6-1, Totesport 11-2 and William Hill and Paddy Power 5-1. 'He´s entered in the World Hurdle and we´ll probably run there, depending upon how he comes out of this,' O´Neill said of the winner. 'There isn´t much for him. But he´s a tough little horse and he seems to be over his wind problem, which has troubled him before. 'He goes through soft ground but he has always preferred it good and he enjoyed it today.' On the other side of the winner´s enclosure, Daly stood shaking his head at Mighty Man. 'It´s just frustrating and in a faster-run race we probably might have won,' he said. 'It´s all well and good to see him run well but it would be nice to have had some luck and to have seen him win one. 'He obviously gets the three miles well though so we will probably have to run him at the Festival.' ? PA Sport
