Regal Ambition finally gets Swan’s father-in-law off his back!

REGAL Ambition, trained by Charlie Swan for his father-in-law Timmy Hyde, held off the late challenge of Cootamundra to land the featured Leo Dolan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon last night.

The thirteen-race maiden, ridden by Denis Hogan, managed to avoid the worst of an incident involving three of his nearest rivals at the final flight, and stayed on to beat the Ruby Walsh ridden favourite by three quarters of a length, with Gala Dancer third.

A delighted Swan declared: “That should keep the father-in-law (the five-year-old’s owner Timmy Hyde) off my back for a while!” before adding: “He jumps great and stays really well. You could see that he needed every yard of the three miles out there.