Anshan has Maguire smiling

Despite having to contend with top-weight, Anshan Dream ran out a good winner of the Cork Handicap Hurdle under Declan Queally for Adrian Maguire.

The nine-year-old son of Anshan finished seventh of twenty behind Aladdins Cave at the Galway Festival this day last week, and he was sent off a 10/1 shot this afternoon.

Waited with towards the rear, he improved to track the leaders from before the straight and he came with his challenge approaching the second last.

He hit the front at the last and he stayed on well from there to beat The Boat People (5/1) by a length. City Line (10/1) was four and a quarter lengths back in third under Eddie O’Connell for Karl Thornton, while the well-supported Foot Soldier (6/1 to 4/1 joint-favourite) finished back in fifth under Denis Hogan for Charlie Swan. High Importance was the other joint-favourite but he disappointingly finished last of the twelve runners under Ruby Walsh for Tony Martin.

The Mick Winters trained star duo of Missunited and Rebel Fitz were paraded at Cork this afternoon and Maguire, who is Winters' brother-in-law joked afterwards; "I can’t be letting Mick take all the credit!"

He added: "All the Winters’ are here today and I don’t know how they will all fit in the one photograph!

"This win adds to the excitement of Galway. He has always been a nice horse and Declan (Queally) is a top man.

"He is as good as you get and he is great value for his five pound claim."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes