Gamble landed as Sharjah gets up close home

The well-backed Sharjah just got up to win the Follow Roscommon Facebook 3yo Maiden Hurdle, under Brian O’Connell for Andy Slattery.

The son of Shamardal was 5/1 this morning with Paddy Power, opening on-course at 7/2 before going off the clear 5/2 favourite.

A two time winner on the level, he finished fourth in the first juvenile hurdle of the year, over the course and distance earlier this month, after getting into trouble in running in the early stages of that contest.

Third at the halfway stage this evening, he was ridden in sixth before the straight, as the front-running Thefiddlerofduneen (9/2) continued to bowl along in the lead under Mick Darcy.

The loose horse did the winner no favours at the second last, but he jumped the last two flights well, keeping on best on the run-in to score by half a length.

The Tommy Stack trained Tooreen Legend (8/1), who was also inconvenienced by the loose horse at the second last, ran a cracker on his first start over hurdles, finishing in a dead-heat for second with the Paul Flynn trained, Thefiddlerofduneen, who was always making his debut over flights.

Brian O’Connell, who was recording his first success since he partnered Hillman to victory at Limerick in May, said afterwards: "The experienced he gained the last day helped him.

"He ran in snatches a bit but he stuck at it well. He jumped the last two well.”

Davy Condon was unseated by Desiderata at the first, and he was subsequently stood down for the rest of the day, although he was able to walk away from the incident.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee