Gladiator battles back to land Cork thriller The Ian Donoghue trained Royal Gladiator battled back close home to register a first success in the Mouse Trap Bar & Bridge House Bar Pre Race Party Maiden Hurdle at Cork. Sent off 2/1jf under Keith Donoghue, the five-year-old gelding was always in the first two or three runners throughout the contest. Pushed along to lead after four out, the son of Maxios came stands side and held a definite advantage until headed after the penultimate flight. With Captains Speech and Speculateur going on at that stage, Royal Gladiator looked booked for third at best. However, with Donoghue never giving up, the eventual winner rallied after the last, getting to the front again close home to score by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Keith Donoghue said: “Stephen (O’Connor) sponsors me and he’s the master of the hunt with the Ward Union. It’s a good connection. “I was inclined to get him rolling off the bend, I knew he wouldn’t win a sprint so I wanted to get him rolling. “He jumped the last two well and that’s what won it for me. “We’d be hoping that he’d turn into a Dunboyne type of horse.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
