Manuka (Johnny Barry) winning the amateur riders handicap hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
Manuka continued the fine recent run of trainer Karl Thornton when justifying support in the Powerstown Demesne (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel.
The Skerries handler has enjoyed great success in recent weeks with the likes of Colms Dream (3 wins) and Hatch Hall (2 wins), and there was no shortage of support for the Galileo gelding on his first start for the yard.
The six-year-old, formerly with the likes of Johnny Murtagh, Tony Martin and Michael O'Callaghan, was backed on track from 10/1 into 7/1.
Johnny Barry elected to challenge wide in the straight, and his mount jumped to the front two out. Barry had to get serious on the run-in but the well-bred gelding kept on gamely to score by half a length. Omega Springs finished best to snatch the runner-up spot, with top-weight Levi just a head further back in third.
Barry was given a one day ban for not giving his mount time to respond to the whip.
Thornton said, "I had him in pre-training a few years ago before he went off to bigger yards, and when he came up for sale six weeks ago I was always going to buy him.
"We took a chance by coming wide and he jumped super.
"He is owned by David O'Rourke, a neighbour of mine, and he agreed that he was a smashing horse and it's my first winner for him.
"I've 12 horses in total, six of which are point-to-pointers and the rest are all running this week!"
(TW & AM)
