Skippin Court landed a tidy gamble when staying on strongly to win the Friends of Brian Mulligan Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Sligo.

The Peter Fahey trained gelding was available at 28-1 earlier in the day before being backed right down to 13-2 at the off.

A consistent sort in maiden company last season, he won his maiden hurdle at Listowel in September. However, following three subsequent below par runs, he was pretty much unfancied for this contest.

Always travelling easily under Neil Ryan, the five-year-old was sent in pursuit of Peckham Springs on the run to the last and once getting to the leader, he stayed on stoutly to bring some some nice wagers.

Peter Fahey said: “He wasn’t right after his Punchestown run and we gave him plenty of time to come back here. There’s a great (Dexys Midnight Runners) syndicate involved in him. A lot of them are from Leixlip and Neil (Ryan) is good friends with them. It’s great that he got the spin and ended up winning on him. I’d say they’ll have a bit of craic tonight.

“They went a good gallop there and turned it into a test of stamina. Being out wide on the better ground probably helped him as well.

“He’ll definitely be better when we step him up in trip and he’ll probably go for one of the two mile-five handicaps at Galway.

“He’s a nice horse and he’ll be even better over a fence.”

Additional reporting by Mark Nunan