Solar Drive made a winning start to life in handicaps when staying on strongly under Wayne Hassett to claim the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap at Cork.

The Paul Flynn trained grey was one of the most unexposed horses in the race, having had just the three starts in maidens prior to this afternoon.

Well away under his young apprentice jockey, the Mastercraftsman gelding travelled easily just behind the leaders before being produced to lead over a furlong out.

Although he faced a strong late challenge from the Johnny Murtagh trained Natural Ruler the eventual winner kept on well to score by a neck.

Paul Flynn said: "He is a grand horse and obviously Dundalk didn't suit him.

"I was hoping to go to Tipperary for a 1m1f race but it was called off so then had nowhere else to run. I came here and luckily he stayed (the distance) although I don't like running them from out of the handicap."

He added: "A lot of the boys own (stablemate) Timourid and are with me a good few years and I rode plenty winners for them with I was with Philip Hobbs in England.

"The lads are from Galway and keep horses with the Hobbses for the serious stuff, and send them to me for the craic! The boys backed him but you don't know where all this money comes from sometimes.

"It wasn't a great race but he did it well and jumps hurdles as well. There's a 1m4f handicap at the Galway festival so hopefully he can get into that."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.