Ex-pointer An Tobar wins 'well'

Easy point-to-point winner An Tobar scored on his 646-day reappearance run today, landing Fairyhouse's Winter Festival Maiden Hurdle under Rachael Blackmore, to provide Henry De Bromhead with a double.

A 20-lengths Ballyvodock point-to-point winner in January 2022, Gentlewave-gelding didn't race last season but today reappeared the heavily-supported 8/13 favourite.

Racing prominently, Blackmore moved An Tobar — translated to 'the (drinking) well' in Irish, to lead in the home straight, with the pair comfortably beating Champagne Admiral

De Bromhead, earlier successful with the Darragh O'Keeffe-partnered Potters Party was represented by his and Robcour's representative Robbie Power who said “he had a little bit of a setback last year so we had to ease off him but he's been doing everything nicely at home.

“He's a big horse and in the long run it might have been the best thing that ever happened to him, to give him a bit of time to develop and grow into himself. We're were hoping he'd go and do that today.”

He added “we'll have a look at options but he'll be put into the Royal Bond (Grade 1 at today's venue) and there is also the 2m4f (Grade 2) at Navan so there are plenty of options. He does stay well so we'll see what Henry wants to do with him.”

Quotes from Gary Carson