Confident Carberry drives classy Muirhead home in feature

THE classy Muirhead registered his first win over hurdles since landing the Grade 1 ‘Royal Bond’ at Fairyhouse in November 2007 when justifying 5/4 favouritism in the featured Ballinrobe Races 90th Anniversary Hurdle at the County Mayo track last night.

The Noel Meade-trained eight-year-old, a winner over fences at Punchestown last October and placed in that sphere at the recent Galway Festival, was given a typically confident ride by Paul Carberry in a tactical four-runner affair.

Always travelling well, Muirhead, which made his only mistake at the second, cruised into contentionbetween the last two flights, edged ahead of front-running MagicalMemoir at the last before being driven out by Carberry to win by three lengths. The winner’s chief market rival Psycho looked held in third spot when taking a crashing fall at the final flight. The ten-year-old and rider Andrew McNamara emerged unscathed.