Magical Lady and Garrett Cotter teamed up to land the featured Murphys Irish Stout Handicap Hurdle on the opening session of the three-day Killarney May meeting yesterday.
The Pat Hughes-trained six-year-old, disqualified from the runner-up berth in the 1996 running of the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, took up the running five flights from home and under an inspired drive from Cotter she stayed on bravely to comfortably beat Finnegan's Hollow and Cailin Supreme.
"She always deserved a big one and this track suited her out in front. My son worked her on Jim Bolger's gallops last week and he was very impressed", said the winning handler before he added: "I suppose she'll go up in the weights after that and I might run her on the flat over a mile-and-a-quarter next".
Austin Leahy nominated the Tipperary Cup over two miles at Clonmel this Thursday for his charge Pas Possible after Charlie Swan, fresh from his 1,000th success in the plate aboard Rainbow Frontier at Newbury last weekend, partnered him to a one length victory over odds-on chance Tempo in the Freefoam Chase.
English-owner John Gutkin got his afternoon off to a flyer when he was present to cheer home Meet And Greet and Norman Williamson in the Killarney Towers Hotel Maiden Hurdle.
"He's a very lucky owner and has an incredible strike-rate around here for some reason," said O'Grady before Gutkin's colours were later carried to victory at Haydock by the Paul Coletrained colt Strike A Blow.
Frances Crowley, who returned to the amateur ranks earlier this month, brought her tally to 71, including 10 in the paid ranks, when she partnered Hiwillie to justify odds-on favouritism in the concluding bumper.
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