Jesmond Lodge crashes out at the last leaving Black Label clear© Photo Healy Racing
Black Label and Jonathan Moore took full advantage of Jesmond Lodge crashing out at the last to come home clear in the featured E.P.S. Handicap Hurdle at Ballinrobe.
Jesmond Lodge made virtually all in this two mile one contest and was still going strongly for David Mullins approaching the final bend, as the whips were drawn on Black Label in second and Punch Bag in third.
Black Label cut into her lead coming to the last but was still a couple of lengths in arrears jumping it.
However, Jesmond Lodge met it on the wrong stride and fell leaving Black Label to take the lucrative 16,900 euro pot for finishing first. Punch Bag, the 9/4 favourite, trailed the winner in second by 20 lengths. He was three parts of a length in front of The Scourge in third.
Successful trainer Adrian McGuinness said: "He was a bit disappointing at Galway but with the light weight we had to come here and have a whack at this pot.
"He can be a bit of a monkey and I haven't been easy on him in the past ten days. He has a lot of ability though and Jonathan Moore gave him a super ride and the good pace in the race suited him. It looks like he might have won anyway as the other one (Jesmond Lodge) was tying up.
"He might sneak into the bottom of the weights in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel next - I won it with Victram in 2004.
"I'm delighted for his owner Dan Daly who couldn't be here today through work commitments but is a great supporter of mine and he also previously owned Cockney Lad (won the 1997 Irish Champion Hurdle under Richard Hughes)."
Black Label's SP was 8/1, however, he was as big as 25/1 this morning. From Frost was a non runner due to being lame which left Gordon Elliott with two in the race - Skilled (fourth) and The Scourge.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
