Mangan strikes for first time at Festival as Next Week digs deep

JIMMY MANGAN struck for the first time at the Festival when Next Week dug deep to beat Pires in the South West Bins Novice Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

Given a powerful drive by Andrew McNamara, Next Week made a lot of the running and went to the final flight looking certain to score.

But he fluffed his lines, landing awkwardly and had to be galvanised by his pilot as Pires, who wasn’t overly clever at the previous obstacle, was suddenly in with a chance again.