Blue benefits from strong Kennedy drive

Folsom Blue defied a big drift in the market when coming with a well-timed run under Jack Kennedy to land the Clonmel Oil Service Station Handicap Hurdle.

The Old Vic gelding was making his first start today for Gordon Elliott and having traded as short as 5/2 this morning he went to post a 10/1 shot.

Kennedy was rowing along on his mount turning for home but he stayed on into contention going to the last and grabbed a narrow lead on the run-in to beat the well-backed Westerner Point (6/1 into 9/4 favourite) by a head.

The winner has plied his trade in staying chases in recent years and looks set to go down that route again.

Gary O'Brien of At The Races is part owner of the winner and Elliott commented afterwards:-

"I'm not taking the blame for buying him and it was definitely Gary who picked him at the sales. He had his eye on him and thought he had a low enough mark for some of those hurdles.

"He has a high enough mark to get into some of those big races like the Welsh National and something like that or the Paddy Power, is going to be the plan.

"I thought he might sharpen up a bit after today and was thinking about the Proudstown Hurdle at Navan with him. There's no pressure with him now so we'll see where we go now."

(Quotes by Thomas Weekes)