Art of Payroll another for Cooper

Art Of Payroll (16/1) went into many notebooks as he nailed 9/4 favourite Easter Hunt in the two mile maiden hurdle at Cork.

Bryan Cooper rode a patient race on Dessie Hughes’ four-year-old German-bred gelding. Racing to the last he was third behind Easter Hunt and Magical Moon however, a swift jump there brought him upsides Easter Hunt.

It was hands and heels from Cooper as Art Of Payroll got up to beat Easter Hunt by a head. Ruby Walsh and Magical Moon (5/1 from 8/1 this morning) were two and a half lengths away in third.

Bryan Cooper said: “He jumped great and he has a bright future.”

Art Of Payroll’s only other racecourse outing came in April in a Fairyhouse sales bumper when 13th of 17 runners. Waxies Dargle had finished eighth in that contest and was a significant non-runner today due to the going.

This was Bryan Cooper's seventh winner in the last two weeks.

Jockey Rob Jones received a one-day suspension for weighing in more than 1.5lb above the correct weight on Emma Pavlova who finished sixth.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes