Putapoundinthejar wins Galway Hurdle under Dan King Having ridden King Alexander to win the Plate the previous afternoon, Daniel King became just the eighth rider to complete the Plate/Hurdle double in the same year when partnering Putapoundinthejar to win the Grade 3 Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle. Trained by Tony Martin, who himself was completing a rare double having sent out Orandi to win the Galway Mile on Tuesday, the gelding was following up a recent success at Bellewstown. Sent off 10/1 in the colours of owner Ray Grehan, the six-year-old was settled in mid division during the opening circuit of the race. Making headway to track the leaders after three out, Putapoundinthejar got a dream run up the inside rail to go third at the final flight. Heading Gameball over 150 yards out, the eventual winner kept on best to land the prize by three-and-a-quarter lengths from outsider Thisistheway. Tony Martin, with his fifth win in the Hurdle, said: "This has been a very lucky race for me and this is magic, as Ray Grehan is a local owner and is a great supporter of mine. It couldn't have worked out any better. "From the time this horse came to me as a four-year-old, he just needed every year to mature and now he is coming to himself. "I ran down to the start as I could see he was getting a bit upset. You're always trying to get them to the start without them boiling over and I took off his flash noseband, so luckily I got it off in time. I sprinted down and thought I was 20 again! "I didn't get to see all the race but everywhere I did see, he was travelling so well. He (King) was where you wanted him to be at all stages and for a lad of his age, he is some talent. I haven't seen a lot with his talent in a lot of years." Grehan added "I'm delighted for Daniel (King) and he is the man, both today and yesterday. He is the real deal but so is Tony Martin, who keeps the horse so calm. "I bred the horse myself and he was named by a few of the lads in the bar who, one night, decided to put a pound in the jar for something, so I named him that." Joe Byrne was the last jockey to complete the Plate/Hurdle double in 1984.
