20/1 Tipperary brace for Thornton and Meyler

Karl Thornton and Donagh Meyler brought up a Tipperary double when Lord Lariat finished off strongest to win the second division of the Junction Handicap Hurdle.

Earlier on the mark with short-priced favourite Shanroe the win of Lord Lariat was less heralded pre-race, but the signs were certainly there for market watchers.

Lord Lariat had shown a bit of promise in the past, and on handicap debut he tumbled from 11/1 into a returned 7/1 on track.

Meyler was asking for more from his mount from the third last and backers of eventual second, Elegant Dan would have been hopeful as he still moved sweetly in the straight.

However Lord Lariat went into overdrive over the closing couple of flights and he went away in the closing stages to triumph by three and a quarter lengths.

Gambled-on favourite Celine Soprano (13/2 into 4/1) finished eighth.

"He is just a big raw horse and probably won't be a horse until next year,” said Thornton.

"He's a fine big horse but is by a show-jumping stallion, Golden Lariat; he doesn't have many horses but everything he has is ok.

"Noel McParlan (amateur jockey) told me about him and he is owned by two friends, P.J. Casey and Pat Blake. He's a grand fun horse and will come back here on Wednesday.

"It'll probably be next year before he becomes a horse but he probably wants that nicer ground as well."

B.J. Cooper, rider of Balinaboola Steel trained by John Joseph Hanlon, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount nearly fell at the first and never travelled thereafter.

D.J. Mullins, rider of Rippon Lodge trained by John Patrick Ryan, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount made a bad mistake and was pulled up.

T. Ryan, rider of Malicious Intent trained by V.Clifford, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount made a respiratory noise in running.

(TW & EM)