Drumacoo is driven out by Derek O'Connor to beat Miss North Light (on the rail)© Photo Healy Racing
The well-backed Drumacoo justified favouritism in the bumper at Downpatrick, the October INH Flat Race, scoring under Derek O’Connor for Michael Hourigan and owner Robin Birley.
The five-year-old son of Oscar finished fourth on his last start at Limerick in April and was available at 5/1 in a place this morning.
He opened at 3/1 on-course and was backed into 9/4 favouritism at the off.
Settled in mid-division he took closer order from six furlongs out and was fourth with three furlongs to race.
He came with his challenge on the outer two furlongs from home and despite drifting left off the home turn he kept on best to score by three and three parts of a length. Miss North Light proved friendless with punters (7/2 to 5/1 on-course) and she finished second under Nina Carberry for Gordon Elliott (had already completed a treble on the card), while Mick Spadoun (25/1) was a further length and a quarter back in third under Declan Lavery for Dot Love.
Michael Hourigan said afterwards: "He's a nice horse to look forward to. He's a chaser. He'll go hurdling this season and then chasing next year. He didn't win his point-to-point, but he should have."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
