Gleeson partners first track winner on Extensio

It was a red-letter day in Roscommon for amateur rider Patrick Gleeson who steered Extensio home in the Coast To Curragh On August 26th Maiden Hurdle, on his first ride over flights.

The six-year-old gelding raced in touch four out and made good headway into second approaching the home straight.

He picked up the lead rounding the bend, but was less than fluent three out. Gleeson had plenty of horse under him, though, and increased his margin at the last. He drifted over to the left on the run-in, but was in command and came home by three and a-quarter lengths at 11/1. Reverend Hubert (12/1) chased him home and was three lengths clear of 4/6 favourite Hashtag Pretender

Extensio was having his first go at hurdling having won two of his 21 races on the Flat (at Tipperary and the Curragh).

Gleeson said: "First on the track, so delighted now to get the first one. Hopefully we can kick on now.

"I had about 14 or 15 rides in point-to-points and one winner. That's my sixth ride on the track today and the first over hurdles.

"I'm a nephew of John Gleeson's, so he has been looking after me in the point-to-points. I was riding out there since I was 12 or 13. It is all going well, thank God.

"Pat (O'Donnell, trainer of Extensio) is only local down the road and he has been very good to me.

"College has finished, so I can focus on the riding now."

O'Donnell added: “I'm delighted. He has the form in the book. If he was a bigger horse he'd probably start favourite, in our head.

“He's tall at the withers but a slight horse, so hulking 12 stone around in a hurdle was a worry. That's why I took the 7lb off, but I knew I had a nice lad taking it off.

“Patrick has been riding out with me most days once Aidan (O'Brien) has finished with him, he's in Ballydoyle most mornings and he's just finished his degree.

“It's a big thing for me to win that race with a horse first time out over hurdles.”

Gleeson, a nephew of trainer John Gleeson, had his first ride in a point-to-point last December and secured his sole winner 'between the flags' in a novice riders' race at Rathcannon in April.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson