Markason lands tidy gamble
Markason, backed from 14/1 to 5/1, justified the support by outpointing Bricklad by a half-length in the two and a half mile event, prompting the Stewards to hold an enquiry into the four-year-old's 'improvement in form'.
Trainer Cully told the stewards that Markason had suffered an over-reach, which necessitated stitches, in his penultimate start (at Ballinrobe). But, the enquiry was adjourned, because the video of his last run, at Clonmel, was not available.
New Field, trained by Paddy Mullins for JP McManus, made a successful start to his hurdling career when landing the Blanchardstown Maiden Hurdle.
Confidently ridden by Conor O'Dwyer, the odds-on favourite had to be shaken up before drawing clear of Lord'Tipple on the run-in.
Tom Mullins, representing his father explained: "he's in the 'Royal Bond'. But that will come too soon for him and he doesn't have enough experience. So he'll go for a 'winners of one' instead."
Earlier, the Dessie Hughes-trained Tacitus made it third-time-lucky over hurdles when winning the second division of the Swords Maiden Hurdle.
Paddy Flood made his move on the 5/2 favourite after the third last hurdle. And the son of Titus Livius stretched clear to beat well-backed favourite Golden Exchange in good style.
Tacitus is owned by the Nozzle Boys Syndicate which includes Northern Ireland international soccer player Keith Gillespie (now with Leicester City) and two Australians playing in the Premiership, Hayden Foxe and Lucas Neill.
Guest Artist, the only National Hunt horse in Declan Gillespie's yard, delivered the goods in the first division of this maiden event.
But the Alan Crowe-ridden hurdling debutant, on which Gillespie's son Tom does all the schooling at home, looked set for the runner-up berth when joined approaching the final flight by favourite Tipperary All Star, on which Adrian Lane had hardly moved a muscle.
But the favourite, looking a certain winner, blundered badly, losing his momentum and couldn't recover in time to pose a threat to Gillespie's charge in the closing stages.
