John Adams and Toni Quail© Photo Healy Racing
The Salley Gardens Maiden Hurdle over just shy of three and a quarter miles saw the Colin Bowe-trained John Adams make every yard of the running to provide amateur Toni Quail with her first winner under Rules.
The well-bred 7-year-old, a Presenting half-brother to dual Grade 1 winner Next Destination, got into a good rhythm out in front and had all of his rivals in trouble after jumping the second last flight of hurdles.
He stayed on well in the straight to account for Bloodstone (11/2) by four and a quarter lengths. The easy-to-back 11/4 favourite Wasdale Park was held up towards the rear and never landed a blow before finishing a well-beaten fifth.
The winner had come into this contest in good form, having gone up 10lb to a mark of 105 after second place finishes at Kilbeggan and Wexford.
“He stays well and he goes on any ground," said Quail.
"The blinkers just keep him concentrating. He wore cheekpieces in his point-to-points and when we put blinkers on him for the track they really sharpened him up and we knew that he thought he was a racehorse then!
“We were just beaten a neck by Rachael (Blackmore, at Kilbeggan) and then second again the next day, so I’m delighted that we were able to do it today.
“I’m from Downpatrick and I started out with Brian Hamilton, then I went to James Doyle in Wexford and I moved to Colin Bowe at the start of this year. I’ve ridden one point-to-point winner and I’ll keep point-to-pointing for another year and see how I get on.”
