Barry Connell's L'yser appreciated the drop to unplaced maiden hurdle company at Fairyhouse today, landing a such titled Book Tickets @ fairyhouse.ie race under Donie McInerney.

Jockey McInerney lost a Cheltenham festival opportunity on Charles Byrnes' injured Grade 2 winner Blazing Khal in recent weeks and today got off the mark for 2022, when steering L'yser to an error-ridden 12 lengths win.

Owner/trainer Connell later reported “these unplaced maidens give a horse like him a good opportunity as this time of the year you are probably coming up against Graded horses in maidens.

“He’d a couple of nice runs in maidens and the step up in trip has been a help but he’ll need to smarten up his jumping going into handicap company. He missed the first couple and wasn’t great over the last few either but he has a good engine.

“Given his size we won’t delay him over hurdles too long — we’ll probably go jumping a fence next year.”

Quotes from Alan Magee