Kevin Sexton cemented a new retainer for Pat and Tilly Conway when carrying their pink colours to a hard-earned success aboard Don Franco in the 2m4f Ryans Cleaning Event Specialists Handicap Hurdle at Tipperary.

The Jim Dreaper-trained gelding only went down by half a length at Tramore last month but found this extra half mile more to his liking.

The market on track was notable for the strong support that came in for Stoughan Cross (10/1 to 5/1), and the Tom Gibney-trained gelding gave supporters a great run for their money.

The gamble was prominent throughout but could not find anything extra in the closing stages when headed by the 10/1 winner.

Three quarters of a length separated the pair at the line, with Selective Hearing holding every chance another length and a half back in third and Kennedys Mor in fourth.

Dreaper's son Thomas said, "That is Kevin's first ride for us and for the horse's owners Pat and Tilly Conway, and he will ride all their horses this season. They've had Notre Pere in training with us in the past and have eight or ten horses with us now."

"He (Don Franco) has had very little racing but is a hardy little horse. We were tempted to go over fences but we rolled the dice by running him at Tramore the last day to see if he handled the summer tracks."

Sexton (20) commented, "I ride out a few days a week with Gordon Elliott and, while Gordon is my boss and will be my main employer, I will otherwise ride the Conways' horses. I have one winner left to lose my claim."

(TW & AM)