Byrnes lands another gamble in Killarney opener

The opening race of the 2011 season at Killarney Racecourse, the Killarney Towers Hotel Maiden Hurdle, went to well backed favourite Scottish Boogie for jockey Davy Russell and trainer Charles Byrnes.

Backed from 5/1 this morning into 7/4fav at the off, the son of Tobougg gave his supporters scares with mistakes at both the second last and last, but pulled out more on the run in to catch, the eventual second, City Line and win by three parts of a length at the finish.

The second horse who was backed from 66’s into 33’s wandered a bit up the straight and that certainly didn’t help his cause.

The winner won four on the flat for Sylvester Kirk in England and this was his fifth outing over hurdles for his new yard.

The winning trainer stated afterwards "He’ll be kept going for the summer now and he’ll mix it between the flat and hurdles. He will probably go for a winners of one next."