Naas Racing:Ebadiyan booked his place back at the Cheltenham Festival with a gutsy success at Naas. Trainer Oliver Brady favours the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle of the three options for the grey, who ran out in last year's Triumph Hurdle.
The five-year-old bounced back to form in tremendous style. He looked cooked two from home but rallied bravely for jockey John Cullen to get the verdict by a short head from Muirhead in a bobbing finish to the Limestone Lad Hurdle.
Ebadiyan was always with the pace before taking a clear lead some way out, but the 9-1 shot looked like being swamped when Muirhead and De Valira came to challenge two out.
However, he found extra for Cullen and won on the nod to deny the 4-7 favourite.
“I was a little worried about the ground coming here but I knew he’d have a big chance as he scoped wrong after his last run, which was too bad to be true,” said Monaghan-based Brady.
“Ebadiyan has three options at Cheltenham and while the World Hurdle and Coral Cup are possibilities, the Champion Hurdle is his probable target.
“I’d also like to praise the ride John Cullen gave the horse.
“Plenty of people advised me to jock him off after the horse ran out at Cheltenham last March but I’m not like that and stay loyal to my jockeys — he gave Ebadiyan some ride today.”
Noel Meade, trainer of runner-up Muirhead said: “He came there with every chance from the second-last but I don’t subscribe to the view that he failed to stay the trip.
“He seems sound but we’ll have him scoped.
“Maybe he just emptied a bit in the ground, or it could be the effect of a few hard races.”
Meade gained quick and ample compensation when Oscar Looby (4-1) was given a fine waiting ride by Paul Carberry to land the Grade Two Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chasewith consummate ease.
Alpha Ridge was sent off the odds-on market leader and contested the lead with Telenor throughout the three-mile contest, with Carberry content to let the leading pair fight it out.
While Telenor weakened and Ruby Walsh was hard at work on the favourite turning for home, Oscar Looby ranged up hard on the bridle and scooted clear after the final fence to score readily by three lengths.
“Paul said the ground is nearly unraceable but this horse goes in anything apart from very quick ground and there is a race coming up in Navan for him,” said the Navan trainer.
“This horse will stay at home and won’t be going to Cheltenham and Aintree, but there is a race at the Punchestown Festival go for.”
Last year's Galway Plate hero Ballyholland made a fantastic return to action with victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Irish Racing Writers Novice Hurdle.
Coin McBratney’s nine-year-old was sent off at 6-1 for his first outing since last July on what was his first appearance over the smaller obstacles.
Mr Cracker looked the likely winner after jumping the last, but Ballyholland and Walsh gradually wore him down and then kicked on to score by a length and three-quarters.
McBratney said: “Ruby said afterwards that the horse showed plenty of speed and the hurdles were only getting in his way.
“He really needs to be over fences, but the plan is to go for another hurdle race.
“He really wants better ground and the Aintree National is the plan.
“It’s great to have a horse good enough to go for a race like that.”
Hot favourite Luska Lad took a crashing fall at the third-last, resulting in his rider Andrew McNamara being taken to hospital after being kicked in the neck.
McNamara was reportedly conscious, but shaken up, and admitted to Naas Hospital for further observation.