Easy win for Rebel on his home turf

Galway Hurdle hero Rebel Fitz followed up on his success at Ballybrit as he took the JP McManus Hurdle at Cork this afternoon for his trainer Michael Winters with Davy Russell aboard.

The 7yo son of Agent Bleu has had a tremendous summer campaign winning on the level at Clonmel in May before taking the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary in July.

Sent off the 4/11 favourite to record his fourth straight success he travelled smoothly into the straight after racing in third and fourth for much of the contest.

He hit the front three flights from home and was clear before the last going on to score by an unextended four and a half lengths at the line. Fosters Cross finished best of the rest back in second at 14/1 under Bryan Cooper for Tom Mullins.

Winning trainer Michael Winters said afterwards: "Galway genuniely probably came too soon for him after Tipperary.

"He had a break after Galway and that helped him a bit. I was afraid he would get a bit edgy.

"Davy said he couldn't pull down his goggles today as he was travelling so well.

"Davy got it right tatically at Galway but there was no riding on him today. He is improving mad everyday and he is growing an awful lot, he is 16.2 hands high now and is very athletic.

"He will go for a graded hurdle at Tipperary now in mid-October and if he keeps doing what he is doing over hurdles he will be kept over them.

"We will wait until after Tipperary before making other plans. We might wait until he comes up again a proper horse before deciding whether or not to go chasing.

"He is electric over fences and he will have a racecourse school in about a fortnights time. He has hardly any mileage."

(On-course reporting by Thomas Weekes)