Icy follows up under O'Connor for Hughes

Icy Reply followed up on her recent maiden hurdle success at Bellewstown as she took the Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort Hurdle under Aine O’Connor for Dessie Hughes.

The grey four-year-old daughter of Hernando carried just nine stone twelve here with O’Connor taking a valuable seven pounds off.

Sent off at 13/2 she was close in fourth at the third last and improved into third as they entered the straight.

She came with her challenge two out, hitting the front before the flight and keeping on well from there to score comfortably by four and three parts of a length.

Clara McCloud went off the 11/10 favourite (7/4 this morning) but she had to settle for second under Barry Geraghty for Gordon Elliott, while Draycott Place was a further three and a half lengths back in third under Jonathan Burke for John Ryan (backed from 9/2 to 10/3 on-course).

Dessie Hughes said afterwards: "Aine is with me a good six or eight months. She is very capable and worth the seven pounds.

"The mare was slightly better off than in a handicap with the seven pound claim, and she needed it.

"Depending on what the handicapper does she will go for a 0-123 handicap hurdle on the Sunday of Galway."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes