Odds-on Dragon wins Gowran opener for de Bromhead Dschingis Dragon landed odds of 4/7 in the opening four-year-old maiden hurdle at a blustery Gowran Park. A Flat winner in her native France and third on her first completed start over hurdles at Cork in July, Darragh O'Keeffe's mount tracked the leaders and went to the front on the approach to the second-last. Quietly-fancied newcomer Leonard Vallis covered the move and threw down a challenge between the final two flights but the favourite stayed on well to fend off that rival by a length and a half. Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “I’m delighted with that, it’s great for the owners Pimlico Racing." “She more or less jumped okay, she got a bit of a fright down the back (rival jumped across her) but stayed on really well. “She knuckled down after the last and she was good.” On the prospect of some of his star jumps performers turning out in upcoming weeks he added:- “Hopefully, our ones are tipping away and all is going well.” When asked if Envoi Allen could reappear again at Down Royal he said:- “I think so, we’re aiming that way anyway. “He seems in great form, he worked well the other day and we’re happy with him.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
