Dancing Tornado still has it

Twelve-year-old Dancing Tornado rolled back the years as he took the Easter Time Hurdle under Jody McGarvey for trainer Michael Hourigan.

The now nine time winner was sent off the outsider of the quartet (last year’s winner Berties Dream was a non-runner) at 14/1 for the three mile contest.

Having raced in rear, the son of Golden Tornado made headway into third after two out and went up the inside Stonemaster on the run to the last.

He hit the front before the last and kept on well on the run-in to score by a length from Stonemaster in second at 13/8 under Mark Enright (deputising for Davy Russell) while the even money favourite Shop Dj was a further length and a quarter back in third under Alan Crowe for Peter Fahey. Catch Me (11/2), who led from the sixth but faded in the home straight, finished a further thirteen lengths back in last under Mark Walsh for Edward O’Grady.

The JP McManus owned winner was having his second run of the week, after finishing sixth in the race won by Brian Who at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Michael Hourigan said afterwards: "I waited five months for a winner, now I’ve had three in a week (The Crafty Butcher at Clonmel last Thursday and A Fine Young Man at Cork on Sunday).

"Jody gave him a great. He went down the inside which was the right thing to do.

"That is his first time winning over three miles but he is a class horse and he should have a Paddy Power Chase at Cheltenham to his name but he has been unlucky."

There was a sting in the tail for McGarvey as he was hit with a two day ban by the Stewards for failing to give Dancing Tornado enough time to respond to the whip.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes