Falcon battles to hurdling success

Fearless Falcon battled well to get off the mark over timber in the 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Thurles.

Keith Donoghue sent his mount to the front after the third last but he had to work down the straight. Total Reality pressed him hard and went down by three-parts-of-a-length at the line.

The winner could be heading for pastures new after his success with trainer Ado McGuinness revealing:

"He's entered in the sales and might go to Doncaster. There is also a Listed race at Weatherby for him two days before the sale.

"He got a kick down at the start there and we'll have to check that out. He's improving with every run and the formed worked out well from his Clonmel run."

Breeder Philip Brady was along with the trainer and revealed that he had high hopes for the son of Pivotal before he ran.

"We bought him back as a yearling for 350,000 because we thought he was that good.

"He let us down temperament wise and I leased him out to run over hurdles. I think there is more to come from him."