Buachaill Maith and Ger Fox© Photo Healy Racing
We had our share of incident in the J.J. Burke Peugeot (C & G) Maiden Hurdle at Ballinrobe, but Buachaill Maith and Ger Fox avoided the trouble up front to get off the mark at the fourth attempt.
Eleven to ten favourite Licklighter seemed to jump the second last fine but he crumpled on landing and came down.
Pushed along to assert approaching the last Buachaill Maith came home a comfortable eleven lengths and one and a half lengths to the good from well-backed pair, Wild Sam and Ard Na Carraig
"That was lovely. It helped that a couple of them exited. He can do no more than win and we are delighted he done it," said winning trainer Francis Flood's son Fran.
"I wouldn't think he is a winners of one horse. We will probably go the handicap route with him and he likes that ground.
"He has had a few niggly problems and that's why he only ran once in 2014 and 2015. He cracked a pelvis once and it's good to see him winning a race.
"He is owned by Margaret and John Comerford and family (the D I Y Syndicate) and they are from Nenagh. They've had a few point-to-point winners with us over the years but that's the first one on the track."
The Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined Little Jimmy Brown trained by W.J. Burke, at the request of the trainer and reported the animal to be blowing hard post race.
(DM & EM)
