First reserve Moscowsowhat takes beginners chase

Moscowsowhat gave Bandon trainer James Dullea a welcome boost after a couple of reverses in recent days when taking the Councillors Strand Beginners Chase at Tramore.

Rocky’s Silver and Satin Sun both ran too bad to be true for the yard when fancied earlier this week but this seven-year-old steadied the ship getting in as first reserve in the absence of Lessofdnegativity.

The Definite Article gelding was far from disgraced when switched to fences on his seasonal reappearance at Cork last month and showed the benefit of that outing here.

The 7/1 chance jumped to the front two out and, despite edging a bit left on the run-in, kept on well under Conor Orr to score by a length.

The 11/8 favourite Exit To The West took the runner-up spot, with the front-running Twilight Girl keeping on one paced a further lengths and a quarter away in third.

Dullea said, "That was great, back here in the happy hunting ground. I thought Conor gave him a super ride, it was a very intelligent ride. The plan was to sit mid-division but he ended-up right up there. I told him to do his own thing, so he was happy with where the horse was.

"I'm over the moon for the racing club, as it's their first winner. They've had to wait a bit longer than I thought they would. I thought this lad would do a job for them over hurdles last season. He is just a different horse over fences.

"He is brilliant to jump and if you go back to his first run in a point-to-point he was second to Walk Away. That form had to come through.

"We'll see how he comes out of this and he might go somewhere at Christmas time. The handicapper will decide where we go. I wouldn't be rushing back here with him. A bigger track and bigger fences will suit him. This beginners chase was tailor-made for him."

(AM & DM)