Fountain strikes again for O'Sullivan

Cloudy Fountain stayed on best in the closing stages to run out a convincing winner of the Leugh Handicap Hurdle at Thurles for trainer Liam Burke.

The Cloudings mare was produced to challenge going to the second last by amateur Alan O'Sullivan and had to work to get the better of Chance The Robin running down to the last.

She started to assert on the run-in, staying on well in the closing stages to post a two-and-three-quarter length win at odds of 15/2.

The winner had landed a point-to-point last April and was opening her 'track' account at the 12th attempt.

O’Sullivan said afterwards:- “Off a light weight was a big thing today and we thought she’d love the ground. Every question I asked her, she picked up.

“I rode her to win a point-to-point in Inch. She doesn’t really jump her fences well, so I don’t know if you’d see her over fences on the track - maybe during the summer. She’s been good to me, so I’m delighted.

“That’s my second winner under Rules and I’ve 17 point-to-points as well. I’m in college studying bioscience so that’s the priority for the next couple of years.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)