Jurby strongest at the finish in Ballybrit

Jurby wore down front-running Le Hachette to take the Ballybrit Handicap Hurdle by a length and a half in testing conditions.

Le Hachette was a healthy five lengths clear jumping two out as Jurby made progress into second touching down.

Jurby was ridden by Conor McNamara to go in pursuit of the leader and had cut right into the deficit jumping the last.

Le Hachette got tired on the run-in and wandered towards the stands' side in the final furlong.

Jurby switched to her inside and grabbed the lead in the final 100 yards. He kept on to score by a length and a quarter at 10/1.

Le Hachette was nicely backed from 4/1 to 3/1. Sizing Malbay (11/2) was a whopping 34 lengths back in third.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said: "Hopefully that will do his confidence good as he had leg trouble in the past and I'd say he hasn't forgotten it.

"Racing on nice, soft ground will do him the world of good and he will stay a lot further.

"He had been going really well the last two or three weeks at home and I saw the soft ground but I thought he wanted further - he does want further but got away with it."

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes