Smart hurdler Tornado Shay proved a first racecourse winner for amateur jockey Johnny Ryan when justifying 15/8 favouritism in the concluding Follow Leopardstown On Facebook (QR) Maiden at Leopardstown this evening.

The son of Dr Fong, a winner at the Punchestown Festival last month, moved to the front early in the straight and eventually comfortably defeated Silver Canyon Ryan had previously ridden 38 point to point winners but was getting off the mark with his first winner ‘inside the rails’.

Afterwards winning trainer Thomond O’Mara stated “this race has been the plan with Tornado Shay for a little bit and we will now aim him at both the Amateur Handicap and Galway Hurdle at the Galway Festival.”

“He likes Leopardstown and is better on this ground. He’s a fair tool and has won around Galway before so handles that track.”

Thomas Weekes