Balinaboola Lass crashes out at the last leaving Touch Of Gold in front© Photo Healy Racing
Touch Of Gold recorded her second win from her last three starts, as she took the Flynn Hotel Group Mares Handicap Hurdle.
The four-year-old daughter of Papal Bull provided her trainer Michael Kennedy with his first success at Killarney last month, and she was tenth on her most recent start at Galway.
Available at 8s this morning, she opened on-course at 6s before going off a 5/1 chance under Kennedy's brother Paddy.
Settled towards rear she took closer order after three out, and was pushed along to challenge on the outer after the next.
She got on terms with the leader Ballinaboola Lass at the final flight, and was then left in front as that rival crashed out.
The chestnut victor kept on well in the closing stages to win by two and three parts of a length. Drakaina finished second at 8/1 under Conor Maxwell for Paul Power, while Pursecco (10/1) was another length back in third for Adam Short and Prunella Dobbs. Slievenamon was sent off the 7/2 favourite (from 5/2 on-course) and she finished a disappointing tenth.
The winning rider said afterwards: "That's my eleventh winner and I'm after equaling my best ever season. Hopefully I can keep it going now.
"I wasn't worried when the rain came because I rode her in a schooling race in Thurles during the winter and she coped with it. I rode her in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown during the winter as well and she went away on it but wasn't right at the time.
"Michael made the decision to chance her on it anyway and hopefully there will be a race for her at Listowel now.
"She was too free at Galway, she made a bad mistake early there and it revved her up a little bit. She still ran a good race and ran better than her final position showed and we fancied her today."
