Cullen & Byrne combine with Misca Musca

After finishing third at Naas last time out Misca Musca (10/1) went two places better this afternoon as the Lar Byrne trained gelding took the Dunderry Handicap Hurdle.

The 4yo son of Westerner had three ordinary maiden hurdle runs to his name but then put in a good performance last time out at Naas on his handicap hurdle debut.

He finished just over six lengths behind Worldor and Like Your Style in that Naas contest and sent off at 10/1 this afternoon he showed that run was no flash in the pan.

Ridden by John Cullen the bay gelding improved to lead at the third last and was soon ridden clear.

He stayed on well from the last and came home three and three parts of a length clear of Lead Kindly Light (8/1) in second under Andrew Leigh for Sean Byrne. Majestic Oak finished a further length and three parts back in third under David Splaine for Liam Cusack at 20/1 while Molly Captain was a further four and three parts of a length back in fourth under Barry Geraghty for Philip Dempsey at 7/1. Vapiano and Odonimee were sent off the 11/2 joint favourites but they disappointed and finished twelfth and thirteenth respectively.

Noel Dooly, son of the winning owner Robert and representing winning trainer Lar Byrne, said afterwards: "We bought him for €3,500 last year and that is only his fifth run. He will improve a lot from that.

"The form of his last run was good and I expected him to do that today.

"For a small yard we are not doing too badly. From the five individual runners we have had over the last few months we've had three winners."

Misca Musca is trained in Clonroche, Co Wexford by Lar Byrne while the Dooly's are from Tramore.

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)