Hands Of Gold shines bright in Gowran Park

Hands Of Gold really relished the extended two and a half miles on offer in the RED MILLS EBF Ladies Auction Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park.

This was a step up in trip on his fourth racecourse start and Aine O'Connor held him up towards the rear before the duo made a move racing to three out.

The five-year-old Shantou gelding travelled strongly into the straight but mistake in third at the penultimate flight. It didn't inconvenience him, though, as hit the front before the final obstacle and stayed on well along the run-in to score by six lengths at 10/3 from 6/1 this morning. Purse Price was headed by the winner before the last and couldn't respond in second at 7/2. She was three parts of a length in front of Della Casa Lunga at 15/2.

Trainer Arthur Moore said: "He is a grand horse, is a big baby and was a June foal and is developing mentally and physically. This race was ideal for him and he had a nice time since Limerick where he ran well.

"We bought him in the Landrover Sale thanks to J.P. (McManus), he has kept growing and will make a nice chaser. We thought the step up in trip would suit him and it did.

"We'll look at the final at Punchestown (in April) and will then put him away for fences next year. Unfortunately we lost Sea Ducor at Fairyhouse recently and with the way things are, Hands Of Gold will also be my next runner."

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes