Dream start for Flavin with Street Value

John Flavin got his training career off to the best possible start when successful with his first runner as Street Value took the 2m3f Tipperary Handicap Hurdle in impressive fashion at Clonmel.

Tramore based Flavin has only recently taken over the licence from his father Pat, and the Well Chosen gelding was confirming the promise of his third to the long odds-on Ciel De Neige at the Limerick Christmas meeting.

Street Value was a 250/1 chance on that occasion but was a lot more popular here with earlier quotes of 9/1 trimmed right down to 7/2 favouritism by the off.

Hugh Morgan was at work early in the straight but his mount really got motoring from the second last to ultimately score by all of eight and half lengths. Knock Na Rea took the runner-up spot with Doldido a further three quarters of a length away in third.

Flavin said, “I did the training course on zoom last year and wasn’t really planning on getting the licence until about March but I worked this lad and a couple of others last week and they worked okay so I said I may get it out in case any of them win it would be a good way to start.

“I thought with a circuit to go he was struggling but thankfully Hugh kept a good hold of his head and kept him going. Hugh said he was flat to the boards the whole way. He’s a chaser in the making.

“I train only a mile from Tramore racecourse.

“I rode 20 winners as a conditional in England but I fractured by scull and my weight went against me.

“Training was always in the back of my head. I started with Michael Hourigan when he had Beef Or Salmon, and then I went to Richard Guset and on to Evan Williams.

“They are all very good trainers who train differently.

“I have about 15 in at the moment divided between the track and point-to-points. I hoped to build a new barn last summer but when the lockdown came I was a bit worried. Hopefully we’ll get that done this year and get a few more in.”

(TW & AM)